evangelical

1 of 2

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl How to pronounce evangelical (audio)
ˌe-vən-
variants or less commonly evangelic
Synonyms of evangelicalnext
1
: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels
2
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 noun
evangelically adverb

evangelical

2 of 2

noun

variants often Evangelical
: one holding evangelical principles or belonging to an evangelical party or church

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
His religious training comes from Christian institutions, including a master of divinity from Azusa Pacific University, an evangelical Christian university, and graduate studies in pastoral counseling at Southern California Seminary. Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026 In a recent study, co-authors and I found that evangelical Protestant presence in counties is associated with under-vaccination for Covid-19, while mainline Protest and Catholic presence was associated with higher vaccination rates. Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
Notably here, white evangelicals Christians' approval is just 68%. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026 Evangelicals dismiss Talarico as a heretic for saying that their religion requires seeking common ground rather than high ground. Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evangelical

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evangelical was circa 1527

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evangelical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on evangelical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster