Calvinism

[ kal-vuh-niz-uh m ]

/ 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.

Origin of Calvinism

First recorded in 1560–70; Calvin + -ism

Related forms

Cal·vin·ist, noun, adjectiveCal·vin·is·tic, adjectiveCal·vin·is·ti·cal·ly, adverban·ti-Cal·vin·ism, noun

an·ti-Cal·vin·ist, noun, adjectivean·ti-Cal·vin·is·tic, adjectivenon-Cal·vin·ist, noun, adjectivenon-Cal·vin·is·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for calvinism

“Positive thinking starts in the 19th century as a somewhat reasonable response to Calvinism,” she explained.
Why Are You So Damn Happy?|Megan Hustad|October 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
When I was a boy, I always associated Calvinism and calomel together.
Backlog Studies|Charles Dudley Warner
When a young man, he forsook the Calvinism in which he was reared.
English Secularism|George Jacob Holyoake
Excess of Calvinism produced Arminianism, and those not in excess must therefore be Calvinists!
Anima Poet|Samuel Taylor Coleridge

This newer Calvinism was full of incentives to missionary enterprise, and was zealous for the making of converts.
Unitarianism in America|George Willis Cooke
If he had a leaning, it was certainly in favor of the utmost severity of Calvinism.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 94, August, 1865|Various

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 FormsCalvinist, 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

Word Origin and History for calvinism

Calvinism

1560s, from John Calvin (1509-1564), Protestant reformer, + -ism. Alternative form Calvinian was in use in 1566. Generalized association with stern moral codes and predestination is attested since at least 1853. Related: Calvinist.

Culture 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.