Methodist

American

[meth-uh-dist] / ˈmɛθ ə dɪst /

noun

a member of the largest Christian denomination that grew out of the revival of religion led by John Wesley: stresses both personal and social morality and has an Arminian doctrine and, in the U.S., a modified episcopal polity.
(lowercase) a person who relies greatly or excessively on methods or a particular method.

adjective

Also Methodistic, Methodistical. of or relating to the Methodists or Methodism.

Methodist British

/ ˈmɛθədɪst /

noun

a member of any of the Nonconformist denominations that derive from the system of faith and practice initiated by John Wesley and his followers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

of or relating to Methodism or the Church embodying it (the Methodist Church )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Methodists

plural

Etymology

Origin of Methodist

First recorded in 1585–95; method + -ist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Disclosure: New York Times and Southern Methodist University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2026

Carol Kemp, 64, is among a growing number of people receiving meals from the Centenary Methodist Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, according to volunteers.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Co-author Michael Polcyn from Southern Methodist University said the discovery expands understanding of both the animals themselves and the ancient ecosystems they inhabited.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

The fourth-year player out of Southern Methodist will remain in the Dallas County jail until June 16.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

My mother had been a Catholic before she was a Methodist.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023