ENGLISH
REFERENCE

enthusiastic

adj.
US //ɪnˌθuziˈæstɪk// UK //ɛnθjˌuːzɪˈæstɪk// en·thu·si·as·tic
  1. 1 divine possession (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical Religion

    relating to a feeling of being controlled by a god or spirit.

    pertaining to or caused by religious ecstasy or divine inspiration. This sense is largely restricted to historical or theological contexts.

    Example

    The ancient text described the priest's enthusiastic state during the ceremony.

    Example

    Scholars often debate whether the poet's enthusiastic utterances were a literary device or a reflection of genuine mystical experience.

    Usage

    In modern English, this sense is almost entirely replaced by 'ecstatic' or 'inspired' outside of academic history.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is archaic; learners should use 'enthusiastic' only to mean 'excited' in modern conversation.
Origin

From Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιαστικός (enthousiastikós), from either ἐνθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós) or ἐνθουσιάζω (enthousiázō) + -τικός (-tikós).

Word family

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