Lutheran

American  

[loo-ther-uhn] / ˈlu θər ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Luther, adhering to his doctrines, or belonging to one of the Protestant churches that bear his name.

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noun

Lutherans plural

1. a follower of Luther or an adherent of his doctrines; a member of the Lutheran Church.

Lutheran British  

/ ˈluːθərən /

noun

1. a follower of Martin Luther or a member of a Lutheran Church

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adjective

1. of or relating to Luther or his doctrines, the most important being justification by faith alone, consubstantiation, and the authority of the Bible

2. of or denoting any Protestant Church that follows Luther's doctrines

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Lutheranism
  noun
• Lutherism
  noun
• non-Lutheran
  adjective
• pre-Lutheran
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Lutherans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Lutheran

First recorded in 1515–25; Luther + -an

Example Sentences

Gas prices were near an apex at the time, and the California Lutheran University student estimates the duo spent $500 to keep his Mazda CX-5 sport-utility vehicle going.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

His father, Reinhold, was a Lutheran pastor, though his true interests were ancient languages, medicine and natural history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

The team finished 25-8 and had wins over Norco, La Mirada, Oaks Christian, Orange Lutheran and Garden Grove Pacifica — all prominent programs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

La Habra 11, Orange Lutheran 8: The surprising Highlanders, who knocked off top-seeded Murrieta Mesa earlier, have now eliminated Trinity League champion Orange Lutheran in the Division 1 quarterfinals.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Uncle Shepsel put away his book on how to become a Lutheran.

From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli