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

Protestant : 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

Centuries of penal laws had left Catholics as impoverished tenant farmers, while Protestants – wealthier and less reliant on the crop – had greater resources to survive. —Paula Kane, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026

The study found that nearly 60% of all Protestants are Republicans or lean Republican. —John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026

Adjective

When his mother, Waltraud Maria, a chemist, married his God-fearing father, Dietrich, an electrician, she was forced to sacrifice her Catholicism and her career in science to become a Protestant housewife. —Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026

In the 1940s, Protestant emphasis on these biblical narratives influenced American public opinion and helped make the case for a Jewish state. —Shalom Goldman, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026

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