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Wesleyan

American  
[wes-lee-uhn, wez-] / ˈwɛs li ən, ˈwɛz- /

adjective

  1. of or relating to John Wesley, founder of Methodism.

  2. pertaining to Methodism.


noun

  1. a follower of John Wesley.

  2. Chiefly British. a Methodist.

Wesleyan British  
/ ˈwɛzlɪən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or deriving from John Wesley

  2. of, relating to, or characterizing Methodism, esp in its original form or as upheld by the branch of the Methodist Church known as the Wesleyan Methodists

"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

noun

  1. a follower of John Wesley

  2. a member of the Methodist Church or (formerly) of the Wesleyan Methodists

"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

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of Wesleyan

First recorded in 1765–75; Wesley + -an

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.

She also has a bachelor of arts in the College of Letters and Spanish Literature from Wesleyan University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Belichick played football and lacrosse at Wesleyan University where he graduated in 1975 with an economics degree.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

On election day, my husband and I met at a local Wesleyan church and went inside to cast our votes together.

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2024

One who has tried to keep up, retired West Virginia Wesleyan political history professor Robert Rupp, brings his own metaphor to the discussion.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Even my own church, the Wesleyan Church, handed over their two hundred thousand African students to the government.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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