evangelical

1 of 2

adjective

evan·​gel·​i·​cal ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kəl 

ˌe-vən-

variants or less commonly evangelic

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-lik 

ˌe-vən-

1

: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels

2

: protestant

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

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-kə-ˌli-zəm 

ˌe-vən-

noun

evangelically

ˌē-ˌvan-ˈje-li-k(ə-)lē 

ˌe-vən-

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

Adjective

The filing was part of a lawsuit that the National Religious Broadcasters, an international association of evangelical Christian communicators, and other plaintiffs initiated in 2024. —Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

Jonathan Muir Burgos and his father, Elier Muir Ávila, an evangelical pastor, were arrested on March 16 in Morón, a city in Ciego de Ávila province. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026

Noun

Evangelicals in America are divided over immigration enforcement. —NPR, 3 May 2026

Evangelicals have mostly stuck by Trump, even with prominent defectors such as Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore and New York Times columnist David French railing against widespread Christian support for the president, given his personal life and tendency to make incendiary statements. —W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for evangelical

• helical
• pellicle

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