Protestant

The word “Protestant” means a member of one of the Christian churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation. In plain terms, describing the branch of Christianity that split from Catholicism in the 1500s, including Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, and many others.

“Protestant” is pronounced PRO-tihs-tuhnt (/ˈpɹɑtɪstənt/ in IPA).

Here is “Protestant” used in a sentence: “His grandparents were devout Protestants.”

Depending on how it is used, “Protestant” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “Protestant” comes from French. From German Protestant or French protestant, ultimately tied to protest plus -ant — the early Reformers formally "protested" against Catholic Church decisions.

“Protestant” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Protestant” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a member of one of the Christian churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation.

Protestants belong to Christian churches that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation, rejecting papal authority and certain Catholic doctrines. Catholics remain under the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church's traditional structure and sacraments.

Yes, Protestant is capitalized because it refers to a specific religious tradition, similar to Catholic or Methodist. This holds whether it is used as a noun for a member of these churches or as an adjective describing their beliefs.

Protestant denominations include groups such as Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans, all of which trace their origins to the Reformation split from the Roman Catholic Church. Each denomination has its own specific beliefs and practices within the broader Protestant tradition.