evangelical

1 of 2

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl How to pronounce evangelical (audio)
ˌe-vən-
variants or less commonly evangelic
1
: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels
2
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 leadersAmos Vogel
Evangelicalism noun
evangelically 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
Han doesn’t survey the landscape of other evangelical churches so much as situate this one church in the history of evangelicalism and race. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2024 While most evangelical Christians are firmly in Trump’s corner, the Catholic vote is less bankable. Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2024
Noun
There are also meaningful divisions among evangelicals who oppose Trump. Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024 His promises could dampen enthusiasm somewhat among white evangelicals, from whom Trump is projected to need overwhelming support in order to win the election. Lucy Tu, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for evangelical 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evangelical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evangelical was circa 1527

Dictionary Entries Near evangelical

Cite this Entry

“Evangelical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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