adeptes

Adeptes is the plural form of the French noun adepte and is used to describe adherents, followers, or practitioners of a doctrine, movement, or activity. In French, the term can refer to devout adherents to a religion or philosophy, as well as to skilled practitioners of a craft or discipline. In esoteric and occult contexts, adepte also denotes a member who has attained a certain level of initiation or mastery; adeptes is the plural form in such usage.

In English-language writing, the corresponding noun is adept, and its standard plural is adepts. The French term adeptes appears in translated or bilingual texts to name a group within a French-speaking tradition or to convey a sense of organized following. It is not generally used as a distinct English concept, but rather as a translation or loanword from French.

Examples include phrases like les adeptes du bouddhisme, which would be rendered in English as the adherents or followers of Buddhism. The term thus reflects a broader sense of loyalty or participation in a system, rather than a strictly technical designation.

See also: Adept; Adherent; Follower; Disciple; Esotericism.