Evangelical

Pronunciation

• IPA: /iːvænˈdÊ’É›lɪkÉ™l/

Origin

evangelic + -al, from Old French evangelique, from Latin evangelium, from Ancient Greek εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion, "good news")

Full definition of evangelical

Adjective

1. Pertaining to the gospel(s) of the Christian New Testament
2. Pertaining to Islamic groups that are dedicated to dawah and preaching the Quran and sunnah.
• 1987, Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, Islamic Values in the United States: A Comparative Study, Page 10When the mosque came under the influence of an evangelical Muslim group (Jamaati Tableegh), the formerly congenial situation changed noticeably.
3. Pertaining to the doctrines or teachings of the Christian gospel or Christianity in general.
4. Protestant; specifically, designating European churches which were originally Lutheran rather than Calvinist.
5. Pertaining to a movement in Protestant Christianity that stresses personal conversion and the authority of the Bible (evangelicalism).
6. Zealously enthusiastic.

Antonyms

• nonevangelical

Synonyms

• evangelic

Usage notes

While evangelical may have all above meanings, it is often used now for meanings 4-5.

Evangelic has only the meanings 1-3 and is now used often to differentiate these meanings from evangelicalism.

Noun

1. A member of an evangelical church
2. An advocate of evangelicalism

Related terms

• antievangelical
• evangelicalism
• evangelism
• evangelistic