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

Some of the preachers, like Oral Roberts, were Pentecostal preachers who found their way on television to bring the movement out of tents and into the mainstream world. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025

The Adath Israel temple is currently being rented out by a Pentecostal church, which uses the buildings on Wednesdays and Sundays. —Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

Noun

The Pentecostal televangelist and gospel artist built the empire known as Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, which also consists of the Family Worship Center and the SonLife Broadcasting Network. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 17 June 2025

In 2012 and 2013, Uberoi, a white British Pentecostal Christian, attended services at the Dublin church and interviewed leaders and congregants. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 June 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