evangelist

noun

evan·​ge·​list i-ˈvan-jə-list 

1

often Evangelist : a writer of any of the four Gospels

2

: a person who evangelizes

specifically : a Protestant minister or layman who preaches at special services

3

: an enthusiastic advocate

an evangelist for physical fitness

Examples of evangelist in a Sentence

an evangelist of space exploration

Recent Examples on the Web

Sheen, a pioneering 20th century TV evangelist, had his 2019 ceremony canceled with just weeks’ notice due to concerns about his tenure as Rochester bishop. —Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

But before Saylor’s rise as a crypto evangelist, Siegal wasn’t impressed. —Ben Weiss, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026

The display commemorates the 40th anniversary of Graham’s 1986 Amsterdam Conference for Evangelists, which equipped thousands of pastors and evangelists worldwide to share the gospel. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026

Through the program, Houston learned about history, especially African American history, and met preachers and evangelists in the community. —Kamal Morgan february 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

evangelist

noun

evan·​ge·​list i-ˈvan-jə-ləst 

: a Christian preacher who goes about from place to place trying to change or increase people's religious feelings

Etymology

Middle English evangelist "one of the writers of the four Gospels," from early French and Latin evangelista (same meaning), from Greek euangelizein "to preach the gospel," from euangelion "good news, gospel," from eu- "good" and angelos "messenger, angel"