evangelist

noun

evan·​ge·​list i-ˈvan-jə-list 

1

often Evangelist : a writer of any of the four Gospels

2

: a person who evangelizes

specifically : a Protestant minister or layman who preaches at special services

3

: an enthusiastic advocate

an evangelist for physical fitness

Examples of evangelist in a Sentence

an evangelist of space exploration

Recent Examples on the Web

Guindon became an evangelist for catch shares, converting fishermen across the country. —Dan Morrison, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025

Then came the funeral of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, which WSJ columnist Peggy Noonan correctly called the largest evangelical event in America since the heyday of evangelist Billy Graham — but this time, one featuring top Republican brass. —Abby McCloskey, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

If Altman remains OpenAI’s evangelist, Brockman is doing some crusading of his own, beating the drum about the need for more computing power across the entire AI industry. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025

Thankfully, a small group of Pacific Northwest growers and enthusiasts has taken on the role of chicory evangelists, teaching chefs and consumers alike how to recognize and prepare puntarelle. —Katie Parla, Saveur, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

evangelist

noun

evan·​ge·​list i-ˈvan-jə-ləst 

: a Christian preacher who goes about from place to place trying to change or increase people's religious feelings

Etymology

Middle English evangelist "one of the writers of the four Gospels," from early French and Latin evangelista (same meaning), from Greek euangelizein "to preach the gospel," from euangelion "good news, gospel," from eu- "good" and angelos "messenger, angel"