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In ancient Greek, pentekoste meant "fiftieth day"—that is, the fiftieth day after Easter (counting Easter itself). On that day, Christians celebrate an event described in the Bible that took place fifty days after Christ's resurrection, when the apostles heard the rush of a mighty wind, saw tongues of fire descending on them, and heard the Holy Spirit speaking from their own mouths but in other tongues (languages). "Speaking in tongues", when everyone in a congregation may begin talking in languages that no one can understand, is the best-known practice of Pentecostals. Pentecostals belong to many different denominations; with growing numbers especially in Latin America and Africa, there may be over 500 million Pentecostals worldwide.
Examples of Pentecostal in a Sentence
Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
What does papal authority mean in a country where faith was shaped not by marble cathedrals but by praise breaks and Pentecostal fire?
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
In Uppsala’s Pentecostal Church, a partner in the night football initiative, before the boys rush up to him for autographs, Persson talks to them about his life as a professional soccer player.
—Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pentecostal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pentecostal. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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