Jansenism

[ jan-suh-niz-uh m ]

/ ˈdʒæn səˌnɪz əm /

noun

the doctrinal system of Cornelis Jansen and his followers, denying free will and maintaining that human nature is corrupt and that Christ died for the elect and not for all humanity.

Origin of Jansenism

From the French word jansénisme, dating back to 1650–60. See Jansen, -ism

Related formsJan·sen·ist, nounJan·sen·is·tic, Jan·sen·is·ti·cal, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for jansenism

This book was the first manifestation of Jansenism to the general public in France, and raised a violent storm.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 2|Various
Such are the barest outlines of the rise and progress of Jansenism during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The War Upon Religion|Rev. Francis A. Cunningham
But Pascal perceived that casuistry was not the only enemy that menaced the true spirit of religion for which Jansenism stood.
The Idea of Progress|J. B. Bury
This question of Jansenism and Molinism occupied France for about two hundred years.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 3 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll

But he was a Jansenist, that is to say, he knew the words of the language of Jansenism and employed them at random.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 2 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

British Dictionary definitions for jansenism

Jansenism

/ (ˈdʒænsəˌnɪzəm) /

noun

RC Church the doctrine of the Cornelis Jansen and his disciples, who maintained that salvation was limited to those subject to a supernatural determinism, the rest being destined to perdition

the religious movement arising from these doctrines

Derived FormsJansenist, noun, adjectiveJansenistic or Jansenistical, 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 jansenism

Jansenism

1650s, in reference to doctrine of Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638), Catholic bishop of Ypres, who maintained the perverseness and inability for good of the natural human will. Related: Jansenist.