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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 See all Example Sentences for evangelical 

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 14 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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