messiah

• Messiah

From Middle English Messyas, Messy, Messie, from Latin Messīās, from Hellenistic Ancient Greek Μεσσίας (Messías), from Aramaic ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ‎ (məšīḥā), from Biblical Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ‎ (māšîaḥ, “anointed”). Doublet of Masih.

• enPR: mə-sī'ə, IPA^(key): /məˈsaɪ.ə/

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• Rhymes: -aɪə

messiah (plural messiahs)

1. (Abrahamic tradition) The one who is ordained by God to lead the people of Israel, believed by Christians and Muslims to be Jesus Christ.
2. (religion, loosely) A similar religious figure or awaited divine ruler, such as the Islamic Mahdi.
   • 1984, Dune‎ (Science Fiction), OCLC 1295459964, spoken by Princess Irulan, 1:50 from the start:

     The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe- a desolate, dry planet with vast deserts. Hidden away within the rocks of these deserts are a people known as the Fremen, who have long held a prophecy, that a man would come, a messiah, who would lead them to true freedom. The planet is Arrakis, also known as Dune.

3. (figuratively) An extremely powerful figure.

• messiah complex
• messiahship

• Christ

• mashies, sameish, smashie