Definition

Noun: 1. A member of the council of the Areopagus: An Areopagite was a citizen of ancient Athens who served as a judge or councilor on the Areopagus, a powerful judicial and advisory council that met on the Hill of Ares.

Usage Notes

• The term areopagite is a historical and proper noun, almost exclusively used to refer to the specific members of this ancient Athenian institution.
• It is typically capitalized when referring to the official title or role.
• The council's influence varied over time, from a primary governing body in early Athens to a court with specific jurisdiction in later periods.

Examples

• The famous statesman and lawgiver, Solon, is said to have revised the laws governing the Areopagites.
• Only former archons (high-ranking officials) who had served honorably could become Areopagites.
• In the New Testament, Dionysius the Areopagite was a judge converted to Christianity by the apostle Paul's sermon on the Areopagus hill.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically in formal or literary contexts to denote a member of any venerable, austere, or ancient council or judicial body, implying wisdom and severe judgment.
  • The committee of elder scholars was treated with the respect due to a council of Areopagites.

Variants and Related Words

• Areopagus (noun): The name of the hill in Athens where the council met; by extension, the council itself.
• Areopagitic (adjective): Pertaining to the Areopagus or its members.

Synonyms

• Magistrate (in the specific context of ancient Athenian judiciary)
• Elder statesman (in a broad, metaphorical sense)
• Councilor (general term)

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word areopagite has a single, highly specific historical meaning. It does not have common modern definitions or idiomatic uses outside of references to classical Athens or metaphorical extensions of that concept.

Noun

1. a member of the council of the Areopagus