evan·gel·i·cal
ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl 
ˌe-vən-
variants
or less commonly evangelic
ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-lik
ˌe-vən-
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
capitalized
: of or relating to the Evangelical Church in Germany
b
often capitalized
: of, adhering to, or marked by fundamentalism : fundamentalist
c
often capitalized
: low church
5
: marked by militant or crusading zeal : evangelistic
the evangelical ardor of the movement's leaders—
Amos Vogel
Amos Vogeloften capitalized
: 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 WebGary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
These changes alienated many Catholic and evangelical Democrats and established the GOP as the political home of white Christian conservatives.
—TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
One opponent, an evangelical nonprofit called Liberty Counsel, pointed to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that determined frozen embryos used for in vitro fertilization were people under Alabama’s Constitution.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
The apparent effectiveness of such tactics has made Mr. Trump the nation’s first major politician to successfully separate character from policy for religious voters, said John Fea, a history professor at Messiah University, an evangelical school in Pennsylvania.
—Michael C. Bender, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Trump owes his political survival to the steadfast support of the right wing, especially conservative, evangelical Christians.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
As churches shutter because of declining, aging membership in other denominations, Latino evangelical congregations are booming.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
The change began in the 2000s, as the GOP increasingly reflected the values of its large conservative, evangelical Christian faction, then accelerated during the Trump years as California repeatedly challenged conservative federal policies in court.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Many of those returning vets are evangelical about the beauty of Vietnam’s land and people.
—Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 24 Mar. 2024
Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Finally, many have linked the eclipse with the imminent sacrifice of red heifers in Israel, a practice that some Jews and evangelicals believe will variously herald the construction of a Third Temple in Jerusalem, the return of the messiah, or the end of the world.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024
Very conservative voters and White evangelicals strongly back him, as do White voters without college degrees.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024
Some Christians, especially evangelicals, trace their opposition to modern reproductive technologies to their belief that fully human beings are created at conception.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
The numbers look grim for White evangelicals as well.
—John Blake, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024
Still, the church presents an enormous undertaking, likely one of the largest houses of worship for Latino evangelicals in Milwaukee.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
In the Trump era, a surprising number of evangelicals are rejecting modesty and turning toward the risqué.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Trump ran especially well among parts of the Republican base that were predominant in the GOP electorate, including conservatives and White evangelicals.
—Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2024
Adjective
There are several families who present as evangelical Christians or practicing Muslims on the ship.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
These changes alienated many Catholic and evangelical Democrats and established the GOP as the political home of white Christian conservatives.
—TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
One opponent, an evangelical nonprofit called Liberty Counsel, pointed to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that determined frozen embryos used for in vitro fertilization were people under Alabama’s Constitution.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
The apparent effectiveness of such tactics has made Mr. Trump the nation’s first major politician to successfully separate character from policy for religious voters, said John Fea, a history professor at Messiah University, an evangelical school in Pennsylvania.
—Michael C. Bender, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Trump owes his political survival to the steadfast support of the right wing, especially conservative, evangelical Christians.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
As churches shutter because of declining, aging membership in other denominations, Latino evangelical congregations are booming.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
The change began in the 2000s, as the GOP increasingly reflected the values of its large conservative, evangelical Christian faction, then accelerated during the Trump years as California repeatedly challenged conservative federal policies in court.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Many of those returning vets are evangelical about the beauty of Vietnam’s land and people.
—Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 24 Mar. 2024
Noun
So might the American people: Right-wing evangelicals and Orthodox Jews may be sympathetic to the expansionist project, but many other Americans, including Jewish Americans, see it as illegitimate and profoundly unjust.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Finally, many have linked the eclipse with the imminent sacrifice of red heifers in Israel, a practice that some Jews and evangelicals believe will variously herald the construction of a Third Temple in Jerusalem, the return of the messiah, or the end of the world.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024
Very conservative voters and White evangelicals strongly back him, as do White voters without college degrees.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024
Some Christians, especially evangelicals, trace their opposition to modern reproductive technologies to their belief that fully human beings are created at conception.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
The numbers look grim for White evangelicals as well.
—John Blake, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024
Still, the church presents an enormous undertaking, likely one of the largest houses of worship for Latino evangelicals in Milwaukee.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
In the Trump era, a surprising number of evangelicals are rejecting modesty and turning toward the risqué.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Trump ran especially well among parts of the Republican base that were predominant in the GOP electorate, including conservatives and White evangelicals.
—Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evangelical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Evangelical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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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
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for evangelical
Nglish: Translation of evangelical for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of evangelical for Arabic Speakers
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