Jump To:

• 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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of presbyterian

First recorded in 1635–45; presbytery + -an

---

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

I added that sometimes episcopal clergymen kept a school, but never the presbyterian, or congregational ministers.

From A Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, 2nd ed. Late A Surgeon On Board An American Privateer, Who Was Captured At Sea By The British, In May, Eighteen Hundred And Thirteen, And Was Confined First, At Melville Island, Halifax, Then At Chatham, In England ... And Last, At Dartmoor Prison. Interspersed With Observations, Anecdotes And Remarks, Tending To Illustrate The Moral And Political Characters Of Three Nations. To Which Is Added, A Correct Engraving Of Dartmoor Prison, Representing The Massacre Of American Prisoners, Written By Himself. by Benjamin Waterhouse

Texas State Representative James Talarico, a former schoolteacher and Presbyterian seminary student, is the latest Democrat hoping to break his party's long losing streak.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Wallace’s attorney and the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

A Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico draws inspiration from Jesus's commandment to love one's neighbor, arguing that faith demands compassion for the poor, immigrants and marginalized communities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Presbyterian firebrands such as the late Ian Paisley later tried to make it even harder to get a drink, calling alcohol “the devil’s buttermilk.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

His parents are on the way, they’re like a quick taxi from Presbyterian Hospital.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---