homoiousian

From Ancient Greek ὁμοιούσιος (homoioúsios), from ὅμοιος (hómoios, “like, similar”) + οὐσίᾱ (ousíā, “essence”).

• IPA^(key): /hɒmɔɪˈuːzɪən/

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homoiousian (not comparable)

1. Having a similar but not identical essence, especially with reference to the first and second persons of the Trinity.

   Coordinate term: homoousian

   • 1837, Thomas Carlyle, chapter III, in The French Revolution: A History […], volume II (The Constitution), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, book IV (Varennes):

     Human ill-nature needs but some Homoiousian iota, or even the pretence of one; and will flow copiously through the eye of a needle: thus always must mortals go jargoning and fuming […] .

homoiousian (plural homoiousians)

1. (historical) One of the Semi-Arians of the 4th century who held that the Son was of like, but not the same, essence or substance with the Father.

   Coordinate term: homoousian

   • 1781, Edward Gibbon, chapter XXI, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 257:

     The Greek word, which was chosen to express this mysterious resemblance, bears so close an affinity to the orthodox symbol, that the profane of every age have derided the furious contests which the difference of a single diphthong excited between the Homoousians and the Homoiousians.

• homoiousia

• heteroousian
• homoousian
• monoousian