Nestorian

Nes·to·ri·an

adjective \ne-ˈstȯr-ē-ən\

Definition of NESTORIAN

1

: of or relating to the doctrine ascribed to Nestorius and ecclesiastically condemned in 431 that divine and human persons remained separate in the incarnate Christ

2

: of or relating to a church separating from Byzantine Christianity after 431, centering in Persia, and surviving chiefly in Asia Minor

— Nestorian noun

— Nes·to·ri·an·ism \-ə-ˌni-zəm\ noun

First Known Use of NESTORIAN

1565

Rhymes with NESTORIAN

aurorean, Azorean, Gregorian, historian, Ivorian, praetorian, stentorian, Victorian

Nestorian

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Member of a Christian sect that originated in Asia Minor and Syria in the 5th century AD, inspired by the views of Nestorius. Nestorians stressed the independence of Christ's divine and human natures. Nestorian scholars played a prominent role in the formation of Arab culture after the Arab conquest of Persia; Nestorianism also spread to India, China, Egypt, and Central Asia, where certain tribes were almost entirely converted. Today the Nestorians are represented by the Church of the East, or Persian church, usually referred to in the West as the Assyrian or Nestorian church. Most of its members, who number more than 200,000, live in Iraq, Syria, and Iran.