Presbyterianism

American  

[prez-bi-teer-ee-uh-niz-uhm, pres-] / ˌprɛz bɪˈtɪər i əˌnɪz əm, ˌprɛs- /

noun

1. church government by presbyters or elders, equal in rank and organized into graded administrative courts.

2. the doctrines of Presbyterian churches.

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Etymology

Origin of Presbyterianism

First recorded in 1635–45; presbyterian + -ism

Example Sentences

Although North Korea has relentlessly suppressed religion and vilified American missionaries, the origins of this hereditary cult are found in a surprising place: Protestant Christianity, and in particular, postbellum American Presbyterianism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

This topic pulls together the Reformation, pro-slavery Presbyterianism and Christian Reconstructionism.

From Salon • May 26, 2024

He later became a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a small, conservative denomination that broke away from mainstream Presbyterianism and emphasizes a fundamentalist reading of the Bible.

From Washington Post • May 16, 2022

The last of the 13, Dwight Eisenhower, proved the Mainline’s influence by being baptized into Presbyterianism early in his presidency, like a 16th-century prince accepting the state religion to claim a vacant throne.

From New York Times • Jan. 23, 2021

This fact strengthened by the forceful intellectuality, and the magnetic sympathy of Dr. Wilson, brought about the subsequent rapid growth of Presbyterianism, and proved that the psychological moment had arrived for its development here.

From Historic Fredericksburg The Story of an Old Town by Goolrick, John T.