evangelist

noun

evan·​ge·​list i-ˈvan-jə-list 

1

often Evangelist : a writer of any of the four Gospels

2

: a person who evangelizes

specifically : a Protestant minister or layman who preaches at special services

3

: an enthusiastic advocate

an evangelist for physical fitness

Examples of evangelist in a Sentence

an evangelist of space exploration

Recent Examples on the Web

Marjoe Gortner, who achieved fame as a child evangelist before pivoting to an acting career that included roles in the 1974 film Earthquake and the 1980s primetime soap Falcon Crest, died October 2 from heart complications in Santa Fe, New Mexico. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Jim Bakker, the pioneering TV evangelist who became a symbol of the glitz and greed of the 1980s when his PTL empire near Charlotte collapsed amid scandals, died Monday. — Melissa Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026

Everyone who meets Josh Henry becomes a Josh Henry evangelist. — Lin-Manuel Miranda, Time, 30 Sep. 2026

At the time, Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with Clemishire's family in Hominy, Oklahoma. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

evangelist

noun

evan·​ge·​list i-ˈvan-jə-ləst 

: a Christian preacher who goes about from place to place trying to change or increase people's religious feelings

Etymology

Middle English evangelist "one of the writers of the four Gospels," from early French and Latin evangelista (same meaning), from Greek euangelizein "to preach the gospel," from euangelion "good news, gospel," from eu- "good" and angelos "messenger, angel"