Calvinism

American  

[kal-vuh-niz-uhm] / ˈkæl vəˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrines and teachings of John Calvin or his followers, emphasizing predestination, the sovereignty of God, the supreme authority of the Scriptures, and the irresistibility of grace.

2. adherence to these doctrines.

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Calvinism British  

/ ˈkælvɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. the theological system of John Calvin and his followers, characterized by emphasis on the doctrines of predestination, the irresistibility of grace, and justification by faith

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Calvinism Cultural  

1. The religious doctrines of John Calvin. Calvin stressed that people are saved through God's grace, not through their own merits. The most famous of Calvin's ideas is his doctrine of predestination. In the United States, the Presbyterians make up the largest single group of Christians (see also Christian) in the Calvinist tradition.

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Other Word Forms

• Calvinist noun
• Calvinistic adjective
• Calvinistically adverb
• anti-Calvinism noun
• anti-Calvinist noun
• anti-Calvinistic adjective
• non-Calvinist noun
• non-Calvinistic adjective
• pro-Calvinism noun
• pro-Calvinist noun
• pro-Calvinistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Calvinism

First recorded in 1560–70; Calvin + -ism

Example Sentences

His case for it, which includes a caricature of Calvinism, is unconvincing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

"I think it's the Calvinism," a Dutch colleague ventured when I inquired about the enigmatic reserve of her countrymen.

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2022

As it happens, Calvinism attracted numerous followers in Scotland, the same place in which Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations.”

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2021

The low-lying Dutch provinces on the North Sea had fallen to the Spanish Crown by conquest and marriage, but they outraged its Catholic monarchy by embracing Calvinism in the Reformation.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018

And is this the common theory of Calvinism?

From Calvinistic Controversy Embracing a Sermon on Predestination and Election and Several Numbers, Formally Published in the Christian Advocate and Journal. by Fisk, Wilbur