Baptist

[ bap-tist ]
/ ˈbæp tɪst /

noun

a member of a Christian denomination that baptizes believers by immersion and that is usually Calvinistic in doctrine.
(lowercase) a person who baptizes.
the Baptist. John the Baptist.

adjective

Also Bap·tis·tic. of or relating to Baptists or their doctrines or practices.

Origin of Baptist

1150–1200; Middle English baptiste < Old French < Late Latin baptista < Greek baptistḗs, equivalent to bapt(ízein) to baptize + -istēs -ist

OTHER WORDS FROM Baptist

non-Bap·tist, noun, adjective pro-Bap·tist, adjective, noun pseu·do-Bap·tist, adjective, noun

Example sentences from the Web for baptists

British Dictionary definitions for baptists

Baptist
/ (ˈbæptɪst) /

noun

a member of any of various Christian sects that affirm the necessity of baptism (usually of adults and by immersion) following a personal profession of the Christian faith
the Baptist See John the Baptist

adjective

denoting, relating to, or characteristic of any Christian sect that affirms the necessity of baptism following a personal profession of the Christian faith

Cultural definitions for baptists

Baptists

A group of Christian communities marked chiefly by insistence on adult baptism by immersion. Baptists regard baptism as a ceremony that accompanies and seals a conscious profession of faith in Jesus; for this reason, they do not baptize infants but wait until candidates have reached their teen or adult years. The Baptists are the largest Protestant denomination in the United States and are particularly insistent on the separation of church and state.