Pentecostal

[ pen-ti-kaw-stuhl, -stl, -kos-tuhl, -tl- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Pentecost, a Christian festival commemorating the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles.
2. noting or relating to any of various Christian groups, usually fundamentalist, that emphasize the activity of the Holy Spirit, stress holiness of living, and express their religious feelings uninhibitedly, as by speaking in tongues.

noun

1. Also called Pente·costal·ist. a member of any Pentecostal denomination.

Pentecostal

/ ˌpɛntɪˈkɒstəl /

adjective

1. usually prenominal of or relating to any of various Christian groups that emphasize the charismatic aspects of Christianity and adopt a fundamental attitude to the Bible
2. of or relating to Pentecost or the influence of the Holy Ghost

noun

1. a member of a Pentecostal Church

Derived Forms

• ˌPenteˈcostalist, nounadjective
• ˌPenteˈcostalˌism, noun

Other Words From

• post-Pen·te·costal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pentecostal¹

From the Late Latin word pentēcostālis, dating back to 1540–50. See Pentecost, -al ¹

Example Sentences

They’d both grown up in the Pentecostal church and didn’t want me to have that limiting experience.

From Washington Blade

When we first encountered Shonka, she was singing with other gospel singers on tracks we would use in the movie to create the Pentecostal tent revival sequences.

From Time

His father was a Pentecostal minister, and so was his mother.

From TIme

Is the Pentecostal Jim Casy a stand-in for another martyred J.C.?

From The Daily Beast

From those he married, he demanded a superhuman innocence, in accordance with the Pentecostal teachings of the Assembly of God.

From The Daily Beast

Mormonism, as an old friend raised in the faith told me, combines “a Pentecostal theology with an Episcopalian mentality.”

From The Daily Beast

Certainly, there are overlaps between the traditions—Oral Roberts, where Bachmann studied with Eidsmoe, was a Pentecostal school.

From The Daily Beast

The family, with mother Betty-Ann, traveled around the American South preaching the word of the United Pentecostal Church.

From The Daily Beast

The students of the university, and the people generally, were kindled as if by Pentecostal fires.

From Project Gutenberg

The great Pentecostal visitation seemed to have had another purpose.

From Project Gutenberg

The pentecostal charism, I believe, exhausted itself amongst the earliest disciples.

From Project Gutenberg

The lifeless, emotionless, joyless prayermeeting or preaching service never had its origin in the pentecostal upper room.

From Project Gutenberg

Did not the pentecostal converts 'eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God?'

From Project Gutenberg