evangelism

noun evan·ge·lism \ i-ˈvan-jə-ˌli-zəm \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of evangelism

1 : the winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ

2 : militant or crusading zeal

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evangelistic

play \i-ˌvan-jə-ˈli-stik\ adjective

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evangelistically

play \i-ˌvan-jə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See evangelism defined for kids

Recent Examples of evangelism from the Web

But organizers said evangelicals need to return their focus to the term’s true definition: a person who believes in the authority of the Bible, salvation through Jesus’ work on the cross, personal conversion and the need for evangelism.

— sarah pulliam bailey, Washington Post, "‘When you Google evangelicals, you get Trump’: High-profile evangelicals will meet privately to discuss their future," 12 Apr. 2018
Donald Trump’s presidential support was important, but tax reform would not have happened without Mr. Ryan’s years of detailed policy work and evangelism.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "The Paul Ryan Difference," 11 Apr. 2018
In the 1990s, his unquestioned integrity helped save television evangelism after the public falls from grace of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart.

— david briggs, cleveland.com, "Billy Graham's 'uwavering message' was heard around the world, and in Cleveland (photos)," 21 Feb. 2018
Evangelical Christians had their political views, but for the most part did not treat those views primarily as matters of faith, and concentrated instead on individual devotion to God and evangelism.

— barton swaim, WSJ, "In the Beginning Was the Word," 30 Mar. 2018
She was immediately drawn to Willow’s contemporary sound and approach to evangelism and volunteered on the vocal team.

— manya brachear pashman, chicagotribune.com, "After years of inquiries, Willow Creek pastor denies misconduct allegations," 23 Mar. 2018
And while no one in the American technology industry today can rival Steve Jobs for evangelism, Zuckerberg isn’t even Steve Ballmer, who led Microsoft with a dad-like enthusiasm from 2000 to 2014.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "Can Anyone Unseat Mark Zuckerberg?," 22 Mar. 2018
The three-day event in New York City was the culmination of a lifetime of evangelism -- seven decades of spreading the gospel to more than 200 million people in 185 countries around the world.

— CBS News, "Billy Graham's body makes journey from mountains to Charlotte - live stream," 24 Feb. 2018
His public persona boosted his evangelism, sometimes with detrimental consequences.

— sarah jones, New Republic, "Billy Graham’s Circus Left Him Behind," 22 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evangelism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.