protestant

1 of 2

noun

prot·​es·​tant ˈprä-tə-stənt 

sense 2 is also

prə-ˈte- 

1

Protestant

a

: any of a group of German princes and cities presenting a defense of freedom of conscience against an edict of the Diet of Speyer in 1529 intended to suppress the Lutheran movement

b

: a member of any of several church denominations denying the universal authority of the Pope and affirming the Reformation principles of justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, and the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth

broadly : a Christian not of a Catholic or Eastern church

2

: one who makes or enters a protest

Protestantism

ˈprä-tə-stən-ˌti-zəm 

noun

protestant

2 of 2

adjective

1

capitalized : of or relating to Protestants, their churches, or their religion

2

: making or sounding a protest

the two protestant ladies up and marched out

—Time

Examples of protestant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some conservative Protestants have claimed over the years that LDS Church members are not actual Christians, claims its members said are rooted in misinterpretations of their faith. —Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025

Even if this loyalist wasn’t able to articulate the ideological connection, the broader Protestant/unionist/loyalist community does have an affinity for Israel and Israelis; both peoples, from their vantage point, see themselves as minority communities under siege, victims of terror. —Philip Metres august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025

Adjective

Kirk, an outspoken and devout protestant Christian, was supposedly considering Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy around the time of his death, in the telling of some online. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2025

What To Know Lyell was deeply involved with the SBC, America's largest protestant denomination. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, from Latin protestant-, protestans, present participle of protestari

First Known Use

Noun

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

protestant

noun

prot·​es·​tant

ˈprät-əs-tənt,

 sense 2 is also  prə-ˈtes-

1

capitalized : a member of one of several Christian churches that separated from the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century or of a church founded by members of these churches

2

: one who protests

protestant adjective often capitalized

Protestantism

ˈprät-əs-tənt-ˌiz-əm

noun

Legal Definition

protestant

noun

pro·​tes·​tant prə-ˈtes-tənt 

: a person challenging an action of an administrative agency