Pentecostal

1 of 2

adjective

Pen·​te·​cos·​tal ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stᵊl 

-ˈkȯ-

1

: of, relating to, or suggesting Pentecost

2

: of, relating to, or constituting any of various Christian religious bodies that emphasize individual experiences of grace, spiritual gifts (such as glossolalia and faith healing), expressive worship, and evangelism

Pentecostalism

ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stə-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈkȯ-

noun

Pentecostalist

ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stə-list 

-ˈkȯ-

noun or adjective

Pentecostal

2 of 2

noun

: a member of a Pentecostal religious body

Did you know?

In ancient Greek, pentekoste meant "fiftieth day"—that is, the fiftieth day after Easter (counting Easter itself). On that day, Christians celebrate an event described in the Bible that took place fifty days after Christ's resurrection, when the apostles heard the rush of a mighty wind, saw tongues of fire descending on them, and heard the Holy Spirit speaking from their own mouths but in other tongues (languages). "Speaking in tongues", when everyone in a congregation may begin talking in languages that no one can understand, is the best-known practice of Pentecostals. Pentecostals belong to many different denominations; with growing numbers especially in Latin America and Africa, there may be over 500 million Pentecostals worldwide.

Examples of Pentecostal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Raised in the Pentecostal church, his early years were filled with both the love of community and the sting of rejection. —Essence, 11 Oct. 2024

Apart from politics, McBride shares something else with many of the people on the webinar, including gospel singer Erica Campbell, pastor Jamal Bryant and co-founder the Rev. Leah Daughtry: All draw on Pentecostal faith. —Dara Delgado, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024

Noun

In the 1980s, the Pentecostal televangelist Jimmy Swaggart used his personal column in his ministry’s magazine to endorse evangelist Pat Robertson’s campaign for president. —Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2024

Trump has enjoyed endorsements from a smaller number of Black Pentecostal leaders, but without the same celebrity status as the Black Pentecostal or charismatic preachers backing Harris. —Dara Delgado, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above