Phrase guide

Old Believer

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of those who separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church after 1666 as a protest against the church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652 and 1666. They continue liturgical and ritual practices which predate the reforms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Old Ritualist, Raskolnik, Rascolnik

Antonyms: Nikonite, Nikonian

History

Etymology

Calque of Russian старове́р (starovér).

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: старавер (staravjer) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Esperanto: malnovritano — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Esperanto: malnovritanino — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Finnish: starovertsi — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Finnish: vanhauskoinen — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • French: vieux-croyant — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • French: vieille-croyante — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • French: vieux-ritualiste — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • French: vieille-ritualiste — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • German: Altgläubiger — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • German: Altgläubige — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • German: Altgläubigentum — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Indonesian: Pemercaya Lama — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Kazakh: ескі дәстүршіл (eskı dästürşıl) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Latvian: vecticībnieks — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Lithuanian: séntikis — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Lithuanian: séntikė — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Polish: staroobrzędowiec — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Polish: staroobrzędówka — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Polish: starowier — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Polish: starowierca — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Russian: старообря́дец (staroobrjádec) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Russian: старообря́дка (staroobrjádka) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Russian: старове́р (starovér) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Russian: старове́рка (starovérka) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Russian: раско́льник (raskólʹnik) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Russian: раско́льница (raskólʹnica) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Tatar: старовер (starower) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Ukrainian: старообря́дець (staroobrjádecʹ) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Ukrainian: старообря́дка (staroobrjádka) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Ukrainian: старообря́дник (staroobrjádnyk) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms
  • Ukrainian: старообря́дниця (staroobrjádnycja) — believer in Russian Orthodoxy as it was before the church reforms