cathar means A member of certain so self-styled Novatian and other medieval Christian sects embracing a form of dualism and extraordinary practices purportedly adhering to Mary Magdalene's teachings, persecuted by Roman Catholics as heretics. It carries an Arena rating of 1465, earned across 55 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, cathar ranks #400 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #1,723 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #2,355 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #3,809 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
cathar is pronounced /ˈkæθɑɹ/.
Why “cathar” is a great word
CATHAR — [Noun] A member of a medieval Christian dualist sect, particularly in southern France, which emphasized asceticism and was declared heretical by the Roman Catholic Church. From Medieval Latin Catharī (masculine plural, 'the Pure'), from Byzantine Greek καθαροί (katharoí, 'the pure'), plural of καθαρός (katharós, 'pure'), from Ancient Greek καθαρός (katharós, 'pure'). First recorded in English in the 16th century. Unlike "Albigensian" (which specifies a follower from the region of Albi) or "heretic" (a blunt, generic label for doctrinal dissent), "Cathar" names a precise community bound by a stark theology of spirit against matter. It is the gaunt face of the perfectus refusing all animal food, the silent defiance before the inquisitor's flame, the ruined keeps of Languedoc standing sentinel over a purified faith—the haunting echo of a purity so absolute it could only be answered by annihilation.
Etymology
Recorded since the 16th century; from the masculine plural of Medieval Latin Catharī (“Pure (ones)”), from the masculine plural of Byzantine Greek καθαροί (katharoí, “Pure (ones)”), from the masculine singular of Byzantine Greek καθαρός (katharós, “Pure (one)”), from Ancient Greek καθαρός (katharós, “pure”).
noun
- A member of certain so self-styled Novatian and other medieval Christian sects embracing a form of dualism and extraordinary practices purportedly adhering to Mary Magdalene's teachings, persecuted by Roman Catholics as heretics.e.g.“The Albigenses, famous Cathars in and around Albi (southern France), were eradicated in a bloody ‘crusade’.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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