noun

evangelist

ih-VAN-juh-list

Evangelist (noun) means a person who preaches the Christian gospel, especially one who travels to hold public meetings and win converts. Example: “The evangelist drew crowds of thousands to the stadium.”

noun

A person who preaches the Christian gospel, especially one who travels to hold public meetings and win converts.

"The evangelist drew crowds of thousands to the stadium."

"He began as a street evangelist in Manchester."

An enthusiastic advocate who works to persuade others to adopt a product, idea or technology.

"She was hired as a developer evangelist for the platform."

"He is an evangelist for four-day working weeks."

usually capitalised Any of the four writers traditionally credited with the New Testament gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

"The four evangelists are shown at the corners of the panel."

How to Use Evangelist

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone who works hard to convince other people to believe in something.

When to use it

Neutral in religious use; in business use it can sound overzealous, which is why 'advocate' is often preferred.

Memory tip

The activity is 'evangelism' and the verb is 'evangelise'; note the single 'l' in all forms.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

evangelical → missionary → apostle → evangelism

Common pairings

television evangelist brand evangelist developer evangelist evangelist for change

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ drew crowds of thousands to the stadium.

Etymology

From Greek euangelistēs ('bringer of good news'), from eu ('good') plus angelos ('messenger'), via Latin evangelista.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

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preacher missionary revivalist crusader advocate champion promoter proponent booster

Antonyms

critic detractor

Related Words

winning critical crisis winner hero lawyer champion attorney

Rhymes for evangelist

novelist whitelist

See all rhymes for evangelist →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an evangelist and an evangelical?

'Evangelist' names a role: someone who preaches or promotes. 'Evangelical' describes a broad Protestant tradition emphasising conversion, the Bible and personal faith, and is used as an adjective or for a member of that tradition. An evangelist need not be evangelical, and most evangelicals are not evangelists.

What does a technology evangelist actually do?

They build enthusiasm for a product among developers or customers through talks, demos, documentation and community work, and they carry feedback back to the product team. It sits between marketing, developer relations and engineering, and the title 'developer advocate' now often replaces it.

Is 'evangelist' always religious?

No. The secular sense, meaning a passionate advocate for something, is now very common, especially in business and technology. Context makes the meaning clear, and a modifier such as 'brand evangelist' removes any doubt.

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