Pentecost

noun

Pen·​te·​cost ˈpen-ti-ˌkȯst How to pronounce Pentecost (audio)
-ˌkäst
1
2
: a Christian feast on the seventh Sunday after Easter commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles

called also Whitsunday

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English pentecosten, from Late Latin pentecoste, from Greek pentēkostē, literally, fiftieth day, from pentēkostos fiftieth, from pentēkonta fifty, from penta- + -konta (akin to Latin viginti twenty) — more at vigesimal

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pentecost was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Pentecost

Cite this Entry

“Pentecost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pentecost. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Pentecost

noun
Pen·​te·​cost ˈpent-i-ˌkȯst How to pronounce Pentecost (audio)
-ˌkäst
1
2
: the seventh Sunday after Easter observed as a Christian church festival in memory of the appearance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles
Pentecostal
ˌpent-i-ˈkäs-tᵊl
-ˈkȯs-
adjective or noun

Geographical Definition

Pentecost

geographical name

Pen·​te·​cost ˈpen-ti-ˌkȯst How to pronounce Pentecost (audio)
-ˈkäst
island of Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific population 31,500

More from Merriam-Webster on Pentecost

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!