1550s (n.) "native or inhabitant of Moravia;" 1610s (adj.) "of or pertaining to Moravia or its people," from Moravia. From 1746, in reference to the Protestant sect (United Brethren) founded by Count Zinzendorf in the former German state of Moravia. It traces its origin to John Huss. Related: Moravianism.
mid-15c., member of an early Christian sect founded mid-3c. by the theologian Novatianus (c. 200-258). The schism involved readmission of Christians who had denied their faith under the Decian persecution (Novatianus favored strict treatment and non-forgiveness). Related: Novatianism.
masc. proper name, Biblical third son of Adam and ancestor of all the surviving human race via Noah, literally "set, appointed," from Hebrew Sheth, from shith "to put, set." The Gnostic sect of Sethites (1765) flourished 2c. and believed Christ was a reappearance of Seth, whom they venerated as the first spiritual man.
late Old English, "set of persons walking or riding formally or with ceremonious solemnity; a religious procession; the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem," from Old French procession "procession" (religious or secular), 11c., and directly from Late Latin processionem (nominative processio) "religious procession," in classical Latin "a marching onward, a going forward, advance," noun of action from past-participle stem of procedere (see proceed). Meaning "act of issuing forth" from anything is late 14c. Related: Processionary.
c. 1400, reguler, "member of a religious order bound by vows," from regular (adj.) and from Medieval Latin regularis "member of a religious or monastic order." Sense of "soldier of a standing army" is from 1756. Meaning "regular customer" is by 1852; meaning "leaded gasoline" is by 1978; regular (adj.) in the sense of "unleaded" is by 1974.
1650s, "act of reviving after decline or discontinuance;" specifically from 1660s as, "the bringing back to the stage of a play which has not been presented for a considerable time;" from revive + -al (2).
The sense of "a general and extraordinary religious awakening in a community" is in Cotton Mather (1702, revival of religion); by 1818 it was used of enthusiastic religious meetings (often by Methodists) meant to inspire revival. In reference to the Victorian popularity of Gothic architecture, by 1850. Revivalist "one who promotes or leads a religious revival" is attested by 1812. Related: Revivalism.
