Wesleyan

[ wes-lee-uhn, wez- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to John Wesley, founder of Methodism.
2. pertaining to Methodism.

noun

1. a follower of John Wesley.
2. Chiefly British. a Methodist.

Wesleyan

/ ˈwɛzlɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or deriving from John Wesley
2. of, relating to, or characterizing Methodism, esp in its original form or as upheld by the branch of the Methodist Church known as the Wesleyan Methodists

noun

1. a follower of John Wesley
2. a member of the Methodist Church or (formerly) of the Wesleyan Methodists

Derived Forms

• ˈWesleyanism, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Wesleyan¹

First recorded in 1765–75; Wesley + -an

Example Sentences

The president of Wesleyan University in Connecticut has fashioned himself as an icon of resistance and called the White House administration “authoritarian.”

From Los Angeles Times

She worked her way up from her college career at Ohio Wesleyan, to becoming a head coach at San Diego State and Ohio State and back to the Aztecs again.

From Los Angeles Times

Valley College, then Iowa Wesleyan University, which shut down its school.

From Los Angeles Times

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wesleyan University also released such a notice.

From Los Angeles Times

On election day, my husband and I met at a local Wesleyan church and went inside to cast our votes together.

From Salon