evangelical

1 of 3

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl 

ˌe-vən-

variants or less commonly evangelic

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-lik 

ˌe-vən-

1

: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels

2

: protestant

3

: emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual

4

a

Evangelical : of or relating to the Evangelical Church in Germany

b

often Evangelical : of, adhering to, or marked by fundamentalism : fundamentalist

c

often Evangelical : low church

5

: marked by militant or crusading zeal : evangelistic

… the evangelical ardor of the movement's leaders …

—Amos Vogel

Evangelicalism

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kə-ˌli-zəm 

ˌe-vən-

noun

evangelically

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-k(ə-)lē 

ˌe-vən-

adverb

evangelical

2 of 3

noun (1)

variants often Evangelical

: one holding evangelical principles or belonging to an evangelical party or church

Evangelicalism

3 of 3

noun (2)

Evan·​gel·​i·​cal·​ism

plural -s

: evangelical principles or beliefs

also : adherence to the party or churches holding them

Examples of evangelical in a Sentence

Adjective

She is an evangelical Christian.

He spoke about the project with evangelical zeal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

White evangelical churches—revivalists, under Sutton’s classification system—experienced remarkable growth, while liberal mainline Protestant churches withered. —Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

Authorities say Boelter, an out-of-work evangelical with conservative views and vague grievances over COVID-19 vaccines, left survivors with life-altering injuries and triggered Minnesota’s largest manhunt before his capture. —Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Noun

For many evangelicals and fundamentalists, that power would be wielded as part of a spiritual battle, not just a political one, and the stakes could not have been higher. —Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Among its most religiously outspoken figures is Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, an evangelical who's written a book titled American Crusade. —Jason Derose, NPR, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1532, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for evangelical

• helical
• pellicle

Kids Definition

evangelical

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈjel-i-kəl, 

ˌev-ən-

1

: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as given in the four Gospels

2

: stressing salvation by faith in Jesus, the authority of the Bible, and the importance of preaching