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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
Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2025
He’s worked as a banker, a Pentecostal pastor and a television pundit.
—Tavares Cebola, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 20 Feb. 2025
More than 150 firefighters responded to put out the blaze that broke out inside the Iglesia Pentecostal Arca Cristiana church on Halsey St. near Central Ave.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Pentecostal
Cite this Entry
“Pentecostal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pentecostal. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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