Pentecostal

1 of 2

adjective

Pen·​te·​cos·​tal ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stᵊl 

-ˈkȯ-

1

: of, relating to, or suggesting Pentecost

2

: of, relating to, or constituting any of various Christian religious bodies that emphasize individual experiences of grace, spiritual gifts (such as glossolalia and faith healing), expressive worship, and evangelism

Pentecostalism

ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stə-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈkȯ-

noun

Pentecostalist

ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stə-list 

-ˈkȯ-

noun or adjective

Pentecostal

2 of 2

noun

: a member of a Pentecostal religious body

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Advertisement Religion, government, and power The ambitious Pentecostal pastor and televangelist Malafaia—considered a kingmaker, is among those religious leaders in Brazil who have amassed wealth and celebrity through their sermons. —Emi Eleode, Time, 14 July 2025

Barbara and Nancy are grateful to their Pentecostal tenants for caring for the building. —Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

Noun

The Pentecostal preacher was caught on camera with a prostitute in New Orleans in 1988, which led to his defrocking by the Assembly of God denomination. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025

Thanks to television, Swaggart helped spread the Pentecostal movement to the uttermost parts of the earth. —Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Pentecostal

• intercostal
• costal
• hostel
• hostile
• subcostal