Luther

American  

[loo-ther, loot-uhr] / ˈlu θər, ˈlʊt ər /

noun

1. Martin 1483–1546, German theologian and author: leader, in Germany, of the Protestant Reformation.

2. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning “famous” and “army.”

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Luther British  

/ ˈluːθə /

noun

1. Martin. 1483–1546, German leader of the Protestant Reformation. As professor of biblical theology at Wittenberg University from 1511, he began preaching the crucial doctrine of justification by faith rather than by works, and in 1517 he nailed 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg, attacking Tetzel's sale of indulgences. He was excommunicated and outlawed by the Diet of Worms (1521) as a result of his refusal to recant, but he was protected in Wartburg Castle by Frederick III of Saxony (1521–22). He translated the Bible into German (1521–34) and approved Melanchthon's Augsburg Confession (1530), defining the basic tenets of Lutheranism

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Other Word Forms

• Lutherism
  noun

Example Sentences

“Since the 1990s, America’s classrooms have turned Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks into sacred Civil Rights icons,” he says.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

Many projects, like the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial and African American history museum, began as the deferred dreams of ordinary citizens.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King and India's Mahatma Gandhi, she organised rallies and travelled around the country, calling for peaceful democratic reform and free elections.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Billy Idol, chanteuse Sade, metal legends Iron Maiden and Manchester outfits Joy Division and New Order were also honored, along with hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and velvet-voiced crooner Luther Vandross.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

In January 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. flew to Jamaica for a quiet, month-long visit.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge