evangelical

American  

[ee-van-jel-i-kuhl, ev-uhn-] / ˌi vænˈdʒɛl ɪ kəl, ˌɛv ən- /

adjective

1. Also evangelic. pertaining to or in keeping with the gospel and its teachings.

2. belonging to or designating the Christian churches that emphasize the teachings and authority of the Scriptures, especially of the New Testament, in opposition to the institutional authority of the church itself, and that stress as paramount the tenet that salvation is achieved by personal conversion to faith in the atonement of Christ.

3. designating Christians, especially of the late 1970s, eschewing the designation of fundamentalist but holding to a conservative interpretation of the Bible.

4. pertaining to certain movements in the Protestant churches in the 18th and 19th centuries that stressed the importance of personal experience of guilt for sin, and of reconciliation to God through Christ.

5. marked by ardent or zealous enthusiasm for a cause.

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noun

1. an adherent of evangelical doctrines or a person who belongs to an evangelical church or party.

evangelical British  

/ ˌiːvænˈdʒɛlɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, based upon, or following from the Gospels

2. denoting or relating to any of certain Protestant sects or parties, which emphasize the importance of personal conversion and faith in atonement through the death of Christ as a means of salvation

3. another word for evangelistic

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noun

1. an upholder of evangelical doctrines or a member of an evangelical sect or party, esp the Low-Church party of the Church of England

evangelical Cultural  

1. A member of any of various Christian churches that believes in the sole authority of the literal Bible (see also Bible), a salvation (see also salvation) only through regeneration, or rebirth, and a spiritually transformed personal life.

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Other Word Forms

• evangelicalism noun
• evangelicality noun
• evangelically adverb
• evangelicalness noun
• nonevangelic adjective
• nonevangelical adjective
• nonevangelically adverb
• pseudoevangelic adjective
• pseudoevangelical adjective
• pseudoevangelically adverb
• superevangelical adjective
• superevangelically adverb
• unevangelic adjective
• unevangelical adjective
• unevangelically adverb

Etymology

Origin of evangelical

1525–35; < Late Latin evangelicus (< Late Greek euangelikós; evangel ¹, -ic ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Years ago, conservative activist Paul Weyrich put it plainly at an evangelical gathering.

From Salon

A third cousin, a gospel-of-success evangelical pastor played by Topher Grace, is easy to dislike but a bit more difficult to despise.

From The Wall Street Journal

In The Apostle, which he also wrote and directed, the actor played an evangelical preacher who begins a new life in Louisiana after committing a crime.

From BBC

It’s easy to understand how some members of the mainstream media, including MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough, enthusiastically declared that “evangelical leaders” had been “forced or shocked” to “speak out against it.”

From Salon

Some are missionary groups such as United Bible Societies, whose primary activity globally is translating and distributing bibles, and Samaritan’s Purse, a U.S.-based evangelical group that provides medical care and other emergency services.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• pious
• religious