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Baptist

American  
[bap-tist] / ˈbæp tɪst /

noun

  • Baptists
    plural
  1. a member of a Christian denomination that baptizes believers by immersion and that is usually Calvinistic in doctrine.

  2. (lowercase) a person who baptizes.

  3. the Baptist. John the Baptist.


adjective

  1. Also Baptistic of or relating to Baptists or their doctrines or practices.

Baptist British  
/ ˈbæptɪst /

noun

  1. a member of any of various Christian sects that affirm the necessity of baptism (usually of adults and by immersion) following a personal profession of the Christian faith

  2. See John the Baptist

"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

  1. denoting, relating to, or characteristic of any Christian sect that affirms the necessity of baptism following a personal profession of the Christian faith

"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

Etymology

Origin of Baptist

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English baptiste, from Old French, from Late Latin baptista, from Greek baptistḗs, equivalent to bapt(ízein) “to baptize ” + -istēs -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.

See Examples For:

Baptist Health and Ascension Sacred Heart are widely recognized for high-quality healthcare.

From MarketWatch Aug. 25, 2026

He had never awarded full marks until revisiting one at St John The Baptist Church in Old Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, on his wedding day.

From BBC Aug. 18, 2026

Religious leaders present in Blue Ash on Sunday also included women serving as a Jewish rabbi, a Baptist minister and a Muslim chaplain.

From Salon Aug. 12, 2026

He shared a first name with his father, a Baptist minister and a leader of the Black community in Terre Haute, Ind. His older siblings were A students.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 2, 2026

“We are here from the Bumblebee Baptist Church.”

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

Both are Baptists who talk about faith values.

From Slate Mar. 4, 2024

Even the Southern Baptists were more evolved, as Baylor University had repealed their dancing ban in 1996.

From Salon Dec. 20, 2023

For six months, almost no one took notice of the brief filed quietly by Southern Baptists in a case winding its way to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

From New York Times Nov. 7, 2023

He also asked Baptists to pray for the committee staff “and the McLaurin family” and promised “further updates” on the search process “in a commitment to transparency.”

From Washington Times Aug. 17, 2023

Marian’s grandfather referred to himself as a Black Jew and practiced his adopted religion in a crowded household of devout Baptists.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

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