enthusiast

 
Pronunciation: /ɪnˈθjuːzɪast, ɛn-/

noun

  • 1a person who is very interested in a particular activity or subject: a sports car enthusiast
  • 2 archaic, derogatory a person of intense and visionary Christian views.

Origin:

early 17th century (denoting a person believing that he or she is divinely inspired): from French enthousiaste or ecclesiastical Latin enthusiastes 'member of a heretical sect', from Greek enthousiastēs 'person inspired by a god', from the adjective enthous (see enthusiasm)