Definition

1. Noun:
   • Follower (of a religion), believer: A person who believes in and follows the doctrines of a specific religion.
   • Adherent, devotee: A person who is strongly committed to a particular religion or set of religious beliefs.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy là một giáo đồ Công giáo ngoan đạo. (He is a devout Catholic believer.)
  • Các giáo đồ tụ tập tại nhà thờ vào mỗi sáng Chủ nhật. (The believers gather at the church every Sunday morning.)
  • Cô ấy trở thành giáo đồ Phật giáo sau một thời gian dài tìm hiểu. (She became a Buddhist follower after a long period of study.)

Advanced Usage

• "giáo đồ cuồng tín": fanatical believer, zealot.
  • Nhóm giáo đồ cuồng tín đó thường có những hành động cực đoan. (That group of fanatical believers often engages in extreme actions.)
• Used in formal or written contexts to refer to members of a religious community, often implying a degree of formal affiliation or commitment.

Variants and Related Words

• Tín đồ: A very close synonym, also meaning "believer" or "follower (of a religion)". It is slightly more common in everyday speech.
  • Tín đồ đạo Hindu (Hindu devotees)
• Tín hữu: Often used in Christian contexts to mean "faithful" or "member of the congregation".
• Môn đồ: Can mean "disciple" or "follower", often of a teacher or philosophy, not exclusively religious.
• Đạo hữu: A term used among believers of the same religion to address each other, meaning "fellow believer".

Synonyms

• Người theo đạo: Person who follows a religion.
• Tín chúng: The faithful, believers (collective noun).

Notes on Meaning

• The word "giáo đồ" specifically denotes a person who is a formal follower of an organized religion. It is not typically used for casual or cultural affiliation.
• It carries a neutral to formal tone. The context can imply either a positive commitment or, when modified, a negative fanaticism (e.g., ).
• It is not generally used for followers of ideologies, political movements, or secular leaders; its primary domain is religion.

1. Follower (of a religion), believer
   • Giáo đồ Phật giáo
     A Buddhist believer