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• presbyterian
  presbyterian

  adjective

  pertaining to or based on the principle of ecclesiastical government by presbyters or presbyteries.
• Presbyterian
  Presbyterian

  adjective

  of or relating to any of various Protestant Churches governed by presbyters or lay elders and adhering to various modified forms of Calvinism

presbyterian

American  

[prez-bi-teer-ee-uhn, pres-] / ˌprɛz bɪˈtɪər i ən, ˌprɛs- /

adjective

1. pertaining to or based on the principle of ecclesiastical government by presbyters or presbyteries.

2. (initial capital letter) designating or pertaining to various churches having this form of government and professing more or less modified forms of Calvinism.

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noun

1. (initial capital letter) a member of a Presbyterian church; a person who supports Presbyterianism.

Presbyterian ¹ British  

/ ˌprɛzbɪˈtɪərɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to any of various Protestant Churches governed by presbyters or lay elders and adhering to various modified forms of Calvinism

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noun

1. a member of a Presbyterian Church

presbyterian ² British  

/ ˌprɛzbɪˈtɪərɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating Church government by presbyters or lay elders

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noun

1. an upholder of this type of Church government

Other Word Forms

• Presbyterianism
  noun
• presbyterianism
  noun
• non-Presbyterian
  adjective
• presbyterianistic
  adjective
• pro-Presbyterian
  adjective
• pseudo-Presbyterian
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of presbyterian

First recorded in 1635–45; presbytery + -an

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

presbyterian Presbyterian

Does she have a point that her denomination, the presbyterian Free Church of Scotland - which is often described as socially conservative or even fundamentalist - is not alone in its teachings?

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2023

St Giles' has seen strong Scots women before: Jenny Geddes, in a burst of presbyterian fervour, threw a stool at the minister in the 17th century for daring to introduce an Anglican-tinged prayer book.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 17, 2014

Mack, a pastor at St Andrew's presbyterian church in Saint-Lambert, is a longtime friend of Chassagne's father.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 29, 2013

The presbyterian atmosphere of Sutherland's home in her native Sydney was the result of her father William McDonald Sutherland's being a Scots immigrant.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 11, 2010

It will at once be seen that these innovations were directly contrary to the presbyterian principle, which holds that human inventions ought not to be added to divine institutions.

From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by George Gillespie

Talarico, a former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, has courted voters with a populist economic pitch blended with an overlay of Christian messaging to “love thy neighbor.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

He studied theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is the grandson of a Baptist preacher.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

Meanwhile, Presbyterian Health Plan will exit more Medicare Advantage markets in 2027, disrupting about 30,000 subscribers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Its leader is Presbyterian seminarian Richard Ackerman, 23, known online as Redeemed Zoomer or RZ.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

One Sunday in 1967, after services at Carver Presbyterian Church, Katherine Johnson spied a new face in the crowd, a young woman who had come to the church with her husband and two young daughters.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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