Worshippers

Worshipper (plural worshippers) refers to a person who engages in acts of worship directed toward a deity, sacred entity, or revered concept. The term is used across religious and spiritual traditions to describe participants in devotional practices, whether formal and liturgical or informal and personal. While many contexts involve monotheistic worship, the concept also appears in polytheistic and non-theistic traditions where reverence, praise, or adoration is directed toward the sacred or transcendent.

Origin and usage: Worship derives from Old English weorþscipe, meaning honor or worthiness, with the agent noun forming worshipper. Spelling varies: worshipper (British) and worshiper (American) are both accepted; some modern texts prefer gender-neutral terms such as “worshipper” regardless of gender.

Practices commonly associated with worshippers include prayer, hymns or chants, offerings, rituals, and pilgrimages. They may gather in designated spaces such as churches, mosques, temples, or shrines, or worship privately at home or in nature. In many traditions, worshippers participate in liturgical calendars, seasonal festivals, or daily rituals, though the exact form and emphasis differ widely.

Sociocultural aspects: Scholars study worshippers as participants shaping religious communities, belief systems, and social cohesion. The category also encompasses differences in age, gender, and status within traditions, as well as adaptations in contemporary contexts, including online or multimedia worship.

See also: devotion, liturgy, prayer, ritual, reverence.