Zealot Comes From a Jewish Resistance Movement
Zeal is great energy for a cause. A zealot originally belonged to a specific faction.
Zeal is great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause. The related *zealot* was originally a specific term: the Zealots were a Jewish faction who opposed Roman rule in the first century and played a central part in the revolt of 66 CE. The word became a general insult for excessive enthusiasm afterwards. Greek *zelos* meant ardour or rivalry, and it also gives *jealous*, which entered English through French and originally meant the same thing.
- Great enthusiasm. *Religious zeal.*
- A zealot. *A zealot.*
- Zealous. *Zealous work.*
- Jealous — the same root. *Jealous.*
- Greek — *zelos*, ardour. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | zeal | Zeal. |
| Adjective | zealous | Zealous. |
| Noun | zealot | A zealot. |
| Related | jealous | Jealous. |
| Greek | zelos | Ardour. |
- He worked with zeal.Energy.
- The Zealots opposed Rome.History.
- Jealous is the same word.Family.
Group names that became insults
- Zealot — a first-century Jewish faction
- Vandal — a Germanic people who sacked Rome
- Philistine — an ancient people of the Levant
- Bohemian — from a mistaken belief about Romani origins
- Each lost its specific historical reference
Late Latin *zelus*, from Greek *zelos*, ardour or rivalry, also the source of *jealous*.
Who were the Zealots?
A Jewish faction opposing Roman rule in the first century, central to the revolt of 66 CE.
Are zeal and jealous related?
Yes. Both come from Greek zelos, and jealous originally meant much the same as zealous.