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.

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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

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noun

1. a follower of John Wesley

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

Other Word Forms

• Wesleyanism noun

Etymology

Origin of Wesleyan

First recorded in 1765–75; Wesley + -an

Example Sentences

Allbritton attended Wesleyan University, where he met his wife, Elena, with whom he has three children.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

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

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

Valley College, then Iowa Wesleyan University, which shut down its school.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025

With Dustin Reichard from Ohio Wesleyan University, our team has put out passive audio recorders to record how the eclipse affects birds’ singing.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2024

The Wesleyan Chapel, site of the first women's rights convention, was built in 1843.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling