Protestantism

American  

[prot-uh-stuhn-tiz-uhm] / ˈprɒt ə stənˌtɪz əm /

noun

1. the religion of Protestants.

2. the Protestant churches collectively.

3. adherence to Protestant principles.

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Protestantism British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• anti-Protestantism
  noun
• pro-Protestantism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Protestantism

First recorded in 1640–50; Protestant + -ism

Example Sentences

Dulles came to believe that religion, specifically an ecumenical Protestantism aiming to promote cooperation among different sects, was the missing link that could provide a moral architecture for the global system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

He was brought up in Protestantism, to which was often attributed his austere demeanour, but gave up religion in his teens.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Ufology, like Protestantism, is a big-tent religion, and “A lot of this overlaps,” Janix said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024

There is also a a strand of research that looks at Protestantism, another European import that is supposed to be related.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2023

But Dorus knew his limitations, and was content to be a pastor in the small community of Zundert, in a church that was part of a small movement in the new, less rigid Dutch Protestantism.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman