evangelical

1 of 2

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl 

ˌe-vən-

variants or less commonly evangelic

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-lik 

ˌe-vən-

1

: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels

2

: protestant

3

: emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual

4

a

capitalized : of or relating to the Evangelical Church in Germany

b

often capitalized : of, adhering to, or marked by fundamentalism : fundamentalist

c

often capitalized : low church

5

: marked by militant or crusading zeal : evangelistic

the evangelical ardor of the movement's leaders

—Amos Vogel

Evangelicalism

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kə-ˌli-zəm 

ˌe-vən-

noun

evangelically

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-k(ə-)lē 

ˌe-vən-

adverb

evangelical

2 of 2

noun

often capitalized

: one holding evangelical principles or belonging to an evangelical party or church

Examples of evangelical in a Sentence

Adjective

She is an evangelical Christian.

He spoke about the project with evangelical zeal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The evangelical church had its first service on Easter in 2000 at the Hilton Hotel in Grapevine. —Jenna Sundel, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Garvey also spoke at several branches of the Calvary Chapel non-denominational evangelical church, a common stop for Republicans seeking higher office in California. —Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

However, as he's moved further from New York reality star to conservative politician and champion of evangelical priorities, he's attained an 81 percent approval from white evangelicals, per PRRI, in 2024. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Today, white evangelicals are one of the most powerful voting blocs in America; in 2016, 81 percent of them voted for Trump. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

evangelical

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈjel-i-kəl,

ˌev-ən-

1

: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as given in the four Gospels

2

: stressing salvation by faith in Jesus, the authority of the Bible, and the importance of preaching