Evangelist Meaning
/ɪˈvænd͡ʒəlɪst/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn itinerant or special preacher, especially a revivalist, who conducts services in different cities or locations, now often televised.
nounA writer of a gospel, especially the four New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), usually capitalized (Evangelist).
Sentence Examples
Tom is an evangelist.
Many of Tom's friends think he'll likely become an evangelist.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The traveling ____ spoke to the crowd from a wooden platform.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The famous ____ spoke to thousands of people at the outdoor religious gather.
Word Origin & History
From Old French evangeliste, equivalent to evangel + -ist, from ecclesiastical Latin evangelista, from ecclesiastical Ancient Greek εὐαγγελιστής (euangelistḗs, “bringer of good news”), from εὐαγγελίζεσθαι (euangelízesthai, “to evangelize”), from εὐάγγελος (euángelos, “bringing good news”), from εὖ (eû, “well”) + ἀγγέλλειν (angéllein, “to announce”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Booth, William (1829-1912) English evangelist; founder and first general of the Salvation Army ... his subordinates being expected to give him unquestioning obedience."
— 1992, J. D. Douglas, Who's Who in Christian History, →ISBN, page 94:
"Yet in the spreading consumer market of the mid-1700s, his renditions competed with others offering a far different account of the evangelist and his message. The famous artist William Hogarth mocked Whitefield in two engravings presenting the revivalist as a religious fanatic who held sway over the superstitious lower orders."
— 1994, Frank Lambert, "Pedlar in Divinity", →ISBN, page 10:
"The film implies that the evangelist, as a type, is a fanatic, a sanctimonious prig, and ultimately a hypocrite."
— 1996, Peter J. Conn, Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography, →ISBN, page 149:
"Hendy has come out as something of an evangelist for discontinuous electrification. For Waterloo-Exeter, this could make real sense on a route where the high capital cost of wiring or third rail all the way to Devon would be prohibitive. But what about his vocal support for it on East West Rail, which is effectively a brand new line?"
— 2025 February 19, Paul Clifton, “I am absolutely committed to reforming the railway”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 41:
"[…] and has worked in multiple roles, including as the C# Product Manager and as a Developer Evangelist in the Mid-Atlantic district."
— 2007, James Avery, Jim Holmes, Windows Developer Power Tools, page xxii:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The traveling ____ spoke to the crowd from a wooden platform.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The famous ____ spoke to thousands of people at the outdoor religious gather.