English Reference

Word

mormon

Phoneticsmor·mon

/ˈmɔɹmən/

Definitions

01a member of the religion

B2 · Religion

n. a person who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

n. a member of the religious movement founded by Joseph Smith, specifically the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Many Mormons live in the state of Utah in the United States.”

“The community was founded by Mormons who traveled west in the nineteenth century to escape religious persecution.”

Teaching tip

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially prefers the term 'Latter-day Saint' over 'Mormon', though the latter remains common in general usage.

Synonyms

Latter-day Saint

02relating to the religion

B2 · Religion

adj. relating to the religion, history, or people of the Mormon faith.

adj. pertaining to the faith, culture, or scriptures established by Joseph Smith.

“We visited a famous Mormon temple during our trip to Salt Lake City.”

“The choir is well-known for its performances of traditional Mormon hymns and classical choral works.”

03the prophet

C1 · Religion

n. in the religion's history, the ancient prophet who is said to have written the Book of Mormon.

n. the name of the ancient American prophet and historian who, according to the faith, compiled the primary scriptural text.

“The book is named after Mormon, who was a leader and a prophet.”

“The text describes the life of Mormon and his efforts to preserve the records of his people for future generations.”

Formal

Etymology

From the title of the chief work of Joseph Smith the Book of Mormon. Followers of his religious movement were called this since the 1830s. The title of the book comes from the name from the prophet who they believe compiled it, called Mormon, father of Moroni, and/or the Waters of Mormon mentioned in it. Various implausible etymologies have been proposed, usually in attempts to discredit or defend the Mormon faith.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Religion

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference