Protestant
[ prot-uh-stuh nt or for 4, 6, pruh-tes-tuh nt ]
/ ˈprɒt ə stənt or for 4, 6, prəˈtɛs tənt /
noun
any Western Christian who is not an adherent of a Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Church.
an adherent of any of those Christian bodies that separated from the Church of Rome during the Reformation, or of any group descended from them.
(originally) any of the German princes who protested against the decision of the Diet of Speyer in 1529, which had denounced the Reformation.
(lowercase)
a person who protests.
adjective
belonging or pertaining to Protestants or their religion.
(lowercase)
protesting.
Origin of Protestant
OTHER WORDS FROM Protestant
an·ti-Prot·es·tant, noun, adjective non-Prot·es·tant, noun, adjective pro-Prot·es·tant, adjective, noun un·prot·es·tant, adjectiveBritish Dictionary definitions for protestant
Protestant
/ (ˈprɒtɪstənt) /
noun
- an adherent of Protestantism
- (as modifier)the Protestant Church
Cultural definitions for protestant
Protestant
A Christian belonging to one of the three great divisions of Christianity (the other two are the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church). Protestantism began during the Renaissance as a protest against the established (Roman Catholic) church (see also established church). That protest, led by Martin Luther, was called the Reformation, because it sprang from a desire to reform the church and cleanse it of corruption, such as the selling of indulgences.
notes for Protestant
Protestants hold a great variety of beliefs, but they are united in rejecting the authority of the
pope. Protestant groups include the
Amish, the
Anglican Communion, the
Assemblies of God, the
Baptists,
Christian Science, the
Congregationalists, the
Lutheran Church, the
Mennonites, the
Methodists, the
Presbyterian Church, and the
Quakers.