Pentecostal
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to Pentecost, a Christian festival commemorating the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles.
-
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
adjective
-
(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
-
of or relating to Pentecost or the influence of the Holy Ghost
noun
Other Word Forms
- Pentecostalism noun
- Pentecostalist noun
- post-Pentecostal adjective
Etymology
Origin of Pentecostal
From the Late Latin word pentēcostālis, dating back to 1540–50. See Pentecost, -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Charisma magazine, a publication targeting charismatic and Pentecostal Christians, reported it this way:
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Her Pentecostal faith would guide Parton in her desire to become a singer; a moment connecting with the Lord in an abandoned chapel galvanized her musical aspirations and future.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu—a Muslim married to one of Nigeria’s most prominent Christian Pentecostal preachers—has been trying to persuade the U.S. and Trump that authorities are working to protect both Christian and Muslim Nigerians.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
They are Florida’s nondenominational Revive Church and Hawaii’s Pentecostal megachurch King’s Maui, according to Schatzline’s social media posts.
From Salon • Nov. 11, 2025
She always carried a Bible with her and never talked bad about anybody and at school she only hung around with her Pentecostal friend, Lucy.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
