Calvinism

American  

[kal-vuh-niz-uhm] / ˈkæl vəˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrines and teachings of John Calvin or his followers, emphasizing predestination, the sovereignty of God, the supreme authority of the Scriptures, and the irresistibility of grace.

2. adherence to these doctrines.

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Calvinism British  

/ ˈkælvɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. the theological system of John Calvin and his followers, characterized by emphasis on the doctrines of predestination, the irresistibility of grace, and justification by faith

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Calvinism Cultural  

1. The religious doctrines of John Calvin. Calvin stressed that people are saved through God's grace, not through their own merits. The most famous of Calvin's ideas is his doctrine of predestination. In the United States, the Presbyterians make up the largest single group of Christians (see also Christian) in the Calvinist tradition.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• non-Calvinist
  noun
• pro-Calvinist
  noun
• anti-Calvinism
  noun
• anti-Calvinistic
  adjective
• pro-Calvinism
  noun
• Calvinistically
  adverb
• Calvinist
  noun
• pro-Calvinistic
  adjective
• Calvinistic
  adjective
• anti-Calvinist
  noun
• non-Calvinistic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Calvinism

First recorded in 1560–70; Calvin + -ism

Example Sentences

His case for it, which includes a caricature of Calvinism, is unconvincing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

"Christian reconstructionism is the merger of a distinct brand of Calvinism with Austrian School economics," Tabachnick said.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2021

As it happens, Calvinism attracted numerous followers in Scotland, the same place in which Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations.”

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2021

Whereas Lutheranism and Calvinism had both come about as protests against the perceived moral and doctrinal failings of the Catholic Church, the English Reformation happened because of the selfish desires of a king.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

It is time for those who bear the name to know, and for the public to be distinctly informed, whether there is any thing real represented by the term Calvinism?

From Calvinistic Controversy Embracing a Sermon on Predestination and Election and Several Numbers, Formally Published in the Christian Advocate and Journal. by Fisk, Wilbur