rastafarian
rastafarian Lexical Profile
rastafarian Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or characteristic of the Rastafari religious and cultural movement or its followers.
"Reggae music played a central role in spreading Rastafarian philosophy and cultural expression around the globe."
• noun
An adherent of Rastafari, an Abrahamic religious and social movement that originated in Jamaica in the 1930s and venerates Haile Selassie I, former Emperor of Ethiopia.
"As a devout Rastafarian, he follows an Ital diet and wears his hair in natural dreadlocks."
Word Nuance & Usage
Many adherents of the movement dislike the suffix '-ian' (or '-ism'), viewing it as an indicator of Western ideological division, and prefer the terms 'Rasta' or 'Rastafari'.
• Rhymes for rastafarian
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 1930s in Jamaica from 'Ras Tafari', the pre-coronation title and given name of Haile Selassie I (Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974), from Amharic 'ras' (literally 'head', corresponding to a duke or prince) and 'Tafari' (his given name, meaning 'one who is revered').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.