acólito

acolyte

noun ah-KOH-lee-toh Rare

Origin: Greek akolouthos (follower), via Latin acolythus

Also means

follower

Usage Note

Acólito originally referred to a liturgical minister who assists a priest at Mass, and still carries that religious sense. In modern journalistic and political Spanish it frequently means a close follower or henchman in a negative, ironic register (rodeado de sus acólitos). The plural is regular: acólitos.

Examples

"El acólito encendió las velas del altar."

Natural Translation

The acolyte lit the altar candles.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Object Pronouns: Lo, La, Le & Se Made Simple

Use lo/la for the direct object and le for the indirect — and le becomes se before lo/la. Master Spanish object pronouns with one simple verb test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Respond to ¿Cómo Estás? (Not Just Bien)

Respond to ¿cómo estás? like a native: add gracias, bounce back ¿y tú?, and pick a reply by mood — bien, no me quejo, más o menos, or ahí voy.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Diminutives: What -ito and -ita Really Mean

Spanish diminutives rarely mean 'little.' Learn what -ito and -ita really signal — warmth, softening, downplaying — plus the -cito and -ecito formation rules.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Memorize Spanish Vocabulary Fast (That Sticks)

Memorize Spanish vocabulary fast with a 15-minute daily loop: spaced repetition, frequency-first words, and example-sentence cards that actually stick.

June 9, 2026 6 min read