Holy Spirit

[ hoh-lee spir-it ]

noun

1. the spirit of God:

   Wind is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

2. the presence of God as part of a person's religious experience:

   I felt the Holy Spirit in the room with me, leading and guiding me in prayer.

3. Christianity. Also called Holy Ghost. the third person of the Trinity:

   I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit

noun

1. Christianity the third person of the Trinity

Holy Spirit

1. In the belief of many Christians (see also Christian ), one of the three persons in the one God, along with the Father and the Son ( Jesus is the Son); the Holy Spirit is also called the Holy Ghost. Jesus promised the Apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit after his Crucifixion and Resurrection . The Spirit came to the disciples of Jesus on Pentecost .

Word History and Origins

Origin of Holy Spirit¹

First recorded in 1300–50

Example Sentences

The 12th century “Stavelot Retable,” loaned by Paris’ Cluny Museum, shows the Christian Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 apostles, courtesy of beams of light radiating from above.

From Los Angeles Times

Martinez-Guevara, who was a member of Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, was also associated with several churches in the Southern California region, including Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

Wallnau’s ideas have taken off in particular among a group of Christians often referred to as neo-charismatics, evangelicals who speak in tongues and believe that the Holy Spirit has possessed them with supernatural gifts, including prophecy and healing; this religious cohort is also one of the fastest-growing segments of Christianity in the U.S.

From Slate

They warned of demons that threatened to harm Christians through laws and public schools and sinful movies, and they taught believers how to channel the Holy Spirit to fight off those demons.

From Slate

As if she’d been bowled over by a hurricane-force wind, the woman fell back into the arms of her fellow believers, who gently eased her to the ground, where she lay in the downy grass with four other siblings in Christ, overcome by the sublime presence of the Holy Spirit.

From Slate