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Protestantism

American  
[prot-uh-stuhn-tiz-uhm] / ˈprɒt ə stənˌtɪz əm /

noun

  1. the religion of Protestants.

  2. the Protestant churches collectively.

  3. adherence to Protestant principles.


Protestantism British  
/ ˈprɒtɪstənˌtɪzəm /

noun

  1. the religion or religious system of any of the Churches of Western Christendom that are separated from the Roman Catholic Church and adhere substantially to principles established by Luther, Calvin, etc, in the Reformation

  2. the Protestant Churches collectively

  3. adherence to the principles of the Reformation

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Protestantism

First recorded in 1640–50; Protestant + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I did, as someone who went from partially observant American Protestantism to Anglicanism to the Catholic Church.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

He was brought up in Protestantism, to which was often attributed his austere demeanour, but gave up religion in his teens.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Ufology, like Protestantism, is a big-tent religion, and “A lot of this overlaps,” Janix said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024

Unlike his Catholic contemporaries John Dowland, John Bull and Richard Dering, Byrd didn’t flee the country, opting instead to stay and, in part, abide by the new, state-enforced Protestantism.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2023

But Dorus knew his limitations, and was content to be a pastor in the small community of Zundert, in a church that was part of a small movement in the new, less rigid Dutch Protestantism.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

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