evangelical

1 of 2

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl How to pronounce evangelical (audio)
ˌe-vən-
variants or less commonly evangelic
Synonyms of evangelicalnext
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
Evangelical : of or relating to the Evangelical Church in Germany
b
often Evangelical : of, adhering to, or marked by fundamentalism : fundamentalist
c
often Evangelical : low church
5
: marked by militant or crusading zeal : evangelistic
… the evangelical ardor of the movement's leaders …Amos Vogel
Evangelicalism noun
evangelically adverb

evangelical

2 of 2

noun

variants often Evangelical
: 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 Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The two main characters of that book are a young visual artist named Rachel, and her partner, Bron, who’s trans and had an evangelical upbringing. E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025 In a possible sign of things to come, in July, Milei helped inaugurate Argentina’s largest evangelical church, which can fit 10,000 people. Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
The event, which will be pre-taped at a New York studio, will see Erika Kirk take questions from evangelicals, religious and political leaders. Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025 Apocalypse in the Tropics, directed by Petra Costa, shows how the rise of Christian nationalism in Brazil helped propel Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, to the presidency in 2019 after evangelicals leading the movement fastened onto him as their preferred candidate. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for evangelical

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evangelical was circa 1527

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Cite this Entry

“Evangelical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.

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

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