Pentecostal

1 of 2

adjective

Pen·​te·​cos·​tal ˌpen-ti-ˈkä-stᵊl How to pronounce Pentecostal (audio)
-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 noun
Pentecostalist 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
Gone are the days when the Catholic Church held a monopoly over Latin American and Latino souls: for decades now, the region has been shifting toward other Christian denominations, particularly Pentecostal, evangelical, and Protestant. Graciela Mochkofsky, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Growing up, the singer — who was raised by strict Pentecostal parents — struggled financially, and her family often relied on food stamps and food banks for their next meal. Melody Chiu, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 Growing up in Greensboro, Alabama, where her father was the deacon and Sunday school teacher of her Pentecostal church, Long — who was assigned male at birth but now often uses she/her pronouns — remembers feeling different about her gender and sexuality as early as kindergarten. Spencer MacNaughton, NBC News, 28 Jan. 2024 At a Pentecostal church in Nashua, N.H., a handful of students braved the snow Wednesday for an English class offered through a local Latino community center. Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 Many people have instead turned to evangelical, particularly Pentecostal, churches. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023 The Pentecostal pastor was joined by Adam McKaig, founder of the nonprofit organization Adam's Angels. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2023 His passion for drumming first developed while attending Pentecostal church services with his parents, at first being awed by the in-house drummer and then becoming a part of the church band. Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023 Perry, the daughter of Pentecostal pastors, prevailed. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2023
Noun
Growing up Pentecostal, where extreme modesty (no jewelry, limited skin showing, nothing tight) is de rigueur, provided some limitations. Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 Bishop Tomlinson claimed millions of congregants — including all Pentecostals. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 People were converting to more expressive forms of evangelical Christianity — sometimes called charismatic or Pentecostal — which often entailed speaking in tongues and faith healing and emphasized a daily struggle between good and evil. Bishop Sand, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 Jack Hayford — Pentecostal Pastor Jack Hayford, 88, died Jan. 8. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2023 In Maryland: Grace Episcopal Church in Silver Spring, Manantial de Vida Apostolic Church in Silver Spring, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Hyattsville, Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Mateo in Bowie, and the Amoco on New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park. Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023 First Pentecostal Church has mailed out thousands of invitations to friends and neighbors. Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2023 Alfaro, who was raised in nearby Pico-Union by a Mexican Catholic father and a Chicana Pentecostal mother, knows the hold that religion has on gente and explores the idea of breaking free. Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023 Known as the Pentecostal First Lady to her church's congregation, Mary and her over-the-top outfits have been the subject of many a Watch What Happens Live conversation. Sarah Felbin, Women's Health, 5 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Pentecostal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pentecostal was circa 1663

Dictionary Entries Near Pentecostal

Cite this Entry

“Pentecostal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pentecostal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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