theophile means one who loves God. It carries an Arena rating of 1411, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, theophile ranks #2,220 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,731 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,719 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #11,850 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
Why “theophile” is a great word
One whose primary and defining orientation is a personal love for God. The term, coined in the 17th century, is from the combining form theo- (from Greek theos, meaning "god") and the suffix -phile (from Greek philos, meaning "loving, dear"). Unlike a theist, who asserts belief in a deity’s existence, or a devotee, who adheres to fervent ritual, a theophile is characterized by affection rather than assent or observance. It is the quiet focus in a candlelit chapel before dawn, the patient hand tending a stranger as an act of grace, and the worn smoothness of beads handled with devotion—a posture of the heart that seeks not to define the divine, but to dwell with it.
Etymology
From theo- + -phile.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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