messianism: Meaning and Definition of

mes•si•a•nism

Pronunciation: (mes'ē-u-niz"um, mu-sī'u-), [key]
— n.
  1. (often cap.) the belief in the coming of the Messiah, or a movement based on this belief.
  2. the belief in a leader, cause, or ideology as a savior or deliverer.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.