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Calvinism

[ kal-vuh-niz-uhm ]
/ ˈkæl vəˌnɪz əm /

noun

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.Compare Arminianism.
adherence to these doctrines.

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Origin of Calvinism

First recorded in 1560–70; Calvin + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM Calvinism

Words nearby Calvinism

Calvé-Perthes disease, Calvert, calves, Calvin, Calvin cycle, Calvinism, Calvin, John, Calvino, calvities, calvous, calvus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Calvinism

British Dictionary definitions for Calvinism

Calvinism
/ (ˈkælvɪˌnɪzəm) /

noun

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

Derived forms of Calvinism

Calvinist, noun, adjectiveCalvinistic or Calvinistical, adjective
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

Cultural definitions for Calvinism

Calvinism

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.