Protestantism

[prot-uh-stuhn-tiz-uhm]

noun

1. the religion of Protestants.

2. the Protestant churches collectively.

3. adherence to Protestant principles.

Protestantism

/ ˈprɒtɪstənˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. the religion or religious system of any of the Churches of Western Christendom that are separated from the Roman Catholic Church and adhere substantially to principles established by Luther, Calvin, etc, in the Reformation

2. the Protestant Churches collectively

3. adherence to the principles of the Reformation

Other Word Forms

• anti-Protestantism noun
• pro-Protestantism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Protestantism¹

First recorded in 1640–50; Protestant + -ism

Example Sentences

The Times covered his attacks on fellow clergy, writing in 1991 that MacArthur turned into the “enfant terrible of conservative Protestantism.”

From Los Angeles Times

This duality of the natural and spiritual world is not wholly unique to radical Protestantism, but it has certainly showed up in a variety of deleterious ways.

From Salon

Pretty much any religion except mainstream Protestantism is deeply suspect.

From Salon

He recently joined a church run by Doug Wilson, a proud Christian nationalist who argues "secularism is a hollow construct" and should be replaced by a government-run according to the dictates of "evangelical Protestantism."

From Salon

Indonesia has six officially recognised religions -- Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.

From BBC