Jump To:

• gospel
  gospel

  noun

  the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation.
• Gospel
  Gospel

  noun

  any of the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

gospel

American  

[gos-puhl] / ˈgɒs pəl /

noun

• gospels
  plural

1. the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation.

2. the story of Christ's life and teachings, especially as contained in the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

3. (usually initial capital letter) any of these four books.

4. something regarded as true and implicitly believed.

   to take his report for gospel.

5. a doctrine regarded as of prime importance.

   political gospel.

6. glad tidings, especially concerning salvation and the kingdom of God as announced to the world by Christ.

7. (often initial capital letter) an extract from one of the four Gospels, forming part of the Eucharistic service in certain churches.

8. gospel music.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or proclaiming the gospel or its teachings.

   a gospel preacher.

2. in accordance with the gospel; evangelical.

3. of or relating to gospel music.

   a gospel singer.

gospel ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɒspəl /

noun

1. Also called: gospel truth.  an unquestionable truth

   to take someone's word as gospel

2. a doctrine maintained to be of great importance

3. Black religious music originating in the churches of the Southern states of the United States

4. the message or doctrine of a religious teacher

5. 1. the story of Christ's life and teachings as narrated in the Gospels

   2. the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ

   3. ( as modifier )

      the gospel story

---

Gospel ² British  

/ ˈɡɒspəl /

noun

1. any of the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

2. a reading from one of these in a religious service

---

gospel Cultural  

1. The “good news” of salvation (see also salvation) (see Gospels). Certain styles of religious music are also called “gospel.” (See spirituals (see also spirituals).)

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nongospel
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gospels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gospel

First recorded before 950; Middle English go(d)spell, Old English gōdspell ( see good, spell ²); translation of Greek euangélion “good news” ( see evangel ¹)

Explanation

Follow advice like gospel and you're following it as though it was the final word or authority on the matter. The word gospel comes from the Old English god meaning "good" and spel meaning "news, a story." In Christianity, the term "good news" refers to the story of Jesus Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. Gospel music is heard in church and sung by a gospel choir. Outside of its application to religion, the word gospel is also used to describe an idea or rule that's accepted as undoubtedly true.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gospel Gospel gospels

Stella Parton is best known for her 1975 hit “I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight” and a country and gospel discography that spans 21 studio albums.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Over time her work became more personal, leaning in to Afrocentric mysticism and her distinctive voice, which sidesteps gospel projection in favor of intimate and playful phrasing that recalls Billie Holiday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Technical analysis isn’t gospel, but it’s worth tracking as price action often reveals changes in supply and demand before the narrative catches up.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

From there it opens up, like a flower bud warming to summer, with acoustic guitar strumming, a gentle rhythm section and a gospel choir echoing with otherworldly lightness.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

Coach O told them to leave everything they had on the mat—blood, sweat, all of it—and Luke treated it like gospel.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Our parish lived and practiced American Catholicism’s long tradition of welcoming the stranger, the outcast, the refugee — following the example and words of the Gospel we read every Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Last July saw a revival of the musical “The Gospel at Colonus,” based on Sophocles’ “Oedipus at Colonus.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

"If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully," he said.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

Pope Leo has responded to attacks by US President Donald Trump, saying he hoped to be able to preach the Gospel and about peace, but anyone was free to criticise him.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Hyde talked about the Gospel of Mark, which I hadn’t read until the day before, although I was a Christian.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

It was Tyndale’s personal encounter with the gospels that caused him to risk everything—exile, shame, poverty, imprisonment—to put the Bible into the hands of ordinary people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

Pope Leo then took the book of the gospels to bless the people.

From BBC ● May 18, 2025

For one, it turns out there aren’t physical descriptions of Jesus anywhere in the gospels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2025

She got some money from her college and entered into an obscure essay contest, writing about the Greek text of one of the gospels.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 22, 2023

Of course, Henry meant the “He” of the twenty-third psalm and of the gospels and of all the pastor’s sermons.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• dogma
• faith
• truth