universalist

universalist — noun

1. The religious belief that every person, no matter what they have done, is grante

1.nounC1
Definition

The religious belief that every person, no matter what they have done, is granted salvation and reconciliation with God in the end.

Example

Ezra studied universalist in theology class and found the idea of mercy for all people moving.

uncountable noun with 'studied' in academic context

The 18th-century preacher traveled through New England spreading universalist to small congregations.

Common collocations
  • embrace universalist
  • spread universalist
  • believe in universalist
  • oppose universalist
  • teach universalist
Synonyms
  • universal salvation

    A more descriptive phrase rather than a single-word synonym; universalist is the doctrinal label.

Antonyms
  • particularism

    The opposing Christian doctrine that only some people are saved.

Usage Note

Often uncountable when referring to the abstract doctrine. Frequently appears in historical or theological writing about the 18th and 19th centuries.

Common Mistakes

I believe in a universalist that saves everyone.
I believe in universalist, the idea that everyone is saved.
Do not use an article (a/an) when referring to the abstract doctrine.

2. A liberal Christian tradition that began in the 1700s around the belief that God

2.nounC1
Definition

A liberal Christian tradition that began in the 1700s around the belief that God will save everyone, and later merged with Unitarianism into a faith that values reason, social justice, and inclusive community.

Example

Emre started attending a universalist church where the minister spoke about helping the homeless.

The principles of universalist include respect for all beliefs and work for a fair society.

uncountable noun with 'principles of'

Common collocations
  • universalist church
  • universalist congregation
  • universalist tradition
  • universalist movement
  • attend a Universalist church
Synonyms
  • Unitarian Universalism

    The modern merged denomination; broader than the historical universalist movement alone.

  • Universalism

    An alternative name for the same denominational tradition, often capitalized.

Usage Note

In American English, universalist is often used as a modifier before nouns such as 'church', 'congregation', 'movement', or 'tradition'. The modern denomination is called Unitarian Universalism; use 'universalist' for the historical tradition before the 1961 merger.

Common Mistakes

She goes to universalist church every Sunday.
She goes to a Universalist church every Sunday.
Capitalize the denominational name and use an article when referring to a specific congregation.

3. An idea, rule, or value that is meant to apply to all people in all places, with

3.nounC1
Definition

An idea, rule, or value that is meant to apply to all people in all places, without being limited to a single culture, country, or time period.

Example

The belief that every child deserves an education is a universalist that crosses national borders.

countable noun: 'a universalist that…'

Valentina argued that human dignity is a universalist, not a value limited to one tradition.

Common collocations
  • a universalist that…
  • identify universalists
  • question whether something is a universalist
  • argue for a universalist
  • propose a universalist
Synonyms
Antonyms

Usage Note

In this sense, universalist is a countable noun and often refers to an abstract concept (a principle, value, or rule). Common in academic or formal writing about ethics, human rights, and philosophy.

Common Mistakes

Clean water is a universalist, so everyone needs it.
Access to clean water is a universalist
a principle that applies to everyone.' — This sense is about a principle or value, not a physical thing.

4. The quality or state of being relevant or true for everyone, everywhere, without

4.nounC1
Definition

The quality or state of being relevant or true for everyone, everywhere, without exception.

Example

The novel achieved a remarkable universalist — readers in Tokyo and Buenos Aires found the same meaning.

countable: 'a universalist' meaning a quality

Adisa questioned the universalist of the policy, because it ignored rural communities entirely.

Common collocations
  • the universalist of [something]
  • a remarkable universalist
  • question the universalist of
  • achieve universalist
  • argue for the universalist of
Synonyms
Antonyms

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with 'universality' and is rare in everyday English. It appears mostly in formal academic writing about philosophy, art, law, or social science. Like the first sense, it is usually uncountable but can appear with an indefinite article when referring to a specific instance (e.g., 'a remarkable universalist').

Common Mistakes

The universalist of music is that everyone enjoys it.
The universalist of music means it can be enjoyed by people everywhere.
Do not use 'universalist' as a synonym for 'universal truth'; it refers to a quality, not a fact.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

Universalist (sense 3) is the least common of these four terms and carries a formal, abstract tone. 'Universal value' is the most widely used in human-rights writing — for example, freedom of speech is a universal value, not just a Western one. 'Global principle' leans toward diplomatic or corporate contexts, emphasising that the rule is agreed upon across countries rather than morally inherent. 'Cross-cultural standard' is more descriptive and is favoured in anthropology and sociology when comparing norms across societies. In everyday academic English, prefer 'universal value' or 'universal principle'; reserve 'universalist' for contexts where the philosophical weight of the uncountable noun suits the register.

universalist ↗universal valueglobal principlecross-cultural standard

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the universalist of [something]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Universalist comes from the Latin 'universalis' (relating to all, whole), itself from 'universus' (turned into one, whole). The '-ist' suffix turns the adjective into a noun naming a doctrine or system of belief. The word entered English in the early 1700s alongside the rise of the Universalist Christian movement in Europe and America.

First known use

1722

1722, in the meaning defined at sense 1a