pentecostal
pentecostal Lexical Profile
pentecostal Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or denoting any of various Christian groups that emphasize the active presence of the Holy Spirit, characterized by practices such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and faith healing.
"The sociologist spent years researching the rapid expansion of Pentecostal churches throughout South America."
Relating to the Christian festival of Pentecost or the Jewish festival of Shavuot.
"The choir spent several weeks rehearsing the traditional anthems for the pentecostal season."
• noun
A member or adherent of a Pentecostal Christian movement or church.
"Many Pentecostals gathered in the capital city for an international conference on modern worship and theology."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word is heavily contextual; it is typically capitalized as 'Pentecostal' when referring to the modern Christian movement and its adherents, but often lowercased when referring strictly to the ancient agricultural or historical holiday of Pentecost.
• Rhymes for pentecostal
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Late Latin 'pentecoste', meaning the fiftieth day (after Easter), derived from the Greek 'pentēkostē'. The modern religious sense emerged in the early 20th century to describe Christian movements emphasizing the Holy Spirit's manifestation.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.