adepte

Adepte is a French noun meaning a person who follows or adheres to a doctrine, movement, or practice. It denotes a devotee, follower, or disciple who actively embraces the ideas or techniques of a given system, such as a religion, philosophy, hobby, or lifestyle. The term is gendered in French: un adepte (masculine) and une adepte (feminine), with the plural des adeptes. Common collocations include être un adepte de and the construction adepte du… (a devotee of…).

Etymology: The word comes from Old French adepte, ultimately from Latin adeptus meaning “having attained,” from adipisci “to obtain,” with influences from Greek in the sense of attainment. The sense evolved to refer to someone who has attained knowledge or mastery and now follows or practices a particular system.

In English usage, adepte is rare and largely treated as a loanword from French. The more common English terms are adept as an adjective meaning skilled, or adherent, devotee, or disciple as a noun. When used in English, adepte typically signals a French or stylistic nuance and may appear in literary or academic contexts rather than everyday language.