Calvinism

noun

Cal·​vin·​ism ˈkal-və-ˌni-zəm 

: the theological system of Calvin and his followers marked by strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the depravity of humankind, and the doctrine of predestination

Calvinist

ˈkal-və-nist 

noun or adjective

Calvinistic

ˌkal-və-ˈni-stik 

adjective

Calvinistically

ˌkal-və-ˈni-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of Calvinism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Annotations Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: Annotated Jonathan Edwards’s sermon reflects the complicated religious culture of eighteenth-century America, influenced not just by Calvinism, but Newtonian physics as well. —JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: Annotated Jonathan Edwards’s sermon reflects the complicated religious culture of eighteenth-century America, influenced not just by Calvinism, but Newtonian physics as well. —JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024

Robinson’s Calvinism holds out an earnest optimism about what awaits us in the afterlife, alongside a deep pessimism about our terrible brokenness here on earth. —James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024

That sounds like a garbled version of Max Weber’s highly contestable claims about 17th-century Calvinism. —Barton Swaim, WSJ, 3 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

John Calvin

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined above