Mennonites

Cultural  

1. A Protestant denomination, founded in the early days of the Reformation, whose members believe in living with great simplicity and who refuse to hold public office or to serve in the military. Some are as strict as the Amish in rejecting modern conveniences, such as automobiles and radios. There are numerous Mennonite communities in Pennsylvania and the Middle West.

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Example Sentences

Historically, Mennonites faced persecution in other countries, making them leery of interacting with authorities, Holbrooks said.

From Salon • Aug. 26, 2025

Mennonites are a Christian group with roots in 16th-Century Germany and Holland, who have since settled in other parts of the world, including Canada, Mexico and the US.

From BBC • Jul. 20, 2025

An estimated 30,000 people of Doukhobor descent reside in Canada, and for decades they lived ascetic, communal lives reminiscent of the Quakers or Mennonites, though suffused with Russian culture and traditions.

From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2023

‘Women Talking’ novelist Miriam Toews discusses what Mennonites think of the Oscar-nominated film and what she thinks of Sarah Polley’s use of the Monkees.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2023

In Holland, Friesland, and Holstein, Quaker missionaries had found some success among the Mennonites, without, however, forming any separate communities.

From Church History, Vol. 3 of 3 by Kurtz, J. H.