Pentecostals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of Christians who emphasize a direct personal experience with God through the Holy Spirit
2. Followers of a religious movement characterized by lively worship and a focus on spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues
3. Members of a Christian denomination that celebrates the festival of Pentecost and promotes a belief in the active role of the Holy Spirit in believers' lives

Etymology: Pentecostals take their name from Pentecost, the Christian feast that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which falls fifty days after Easter. The name comes from Greek "pentēkostē", meaning "fiftieth", and reached English through Latin and Church usage. The movement is named after the feast because its members look to the event at Pentecost, when the apostles were said to speak in other languages, as the model for their own spiritual experience. The adjective "Pentecostal" was formed in English by adding the suffix "-al", from Latin "-ālis" through Old French, to the noun Pentecost. The plural "Pentecostals" refers to the people who belong to the movement, and it is the form used for the group as a whole.