gospel

1 of 2

noun

gos·​pel ˈgä-spəl How to pronounce gospel (audio)
Synonyms of gospelnext
1
a
often capitalized : the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation
b
capitalized : one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
also : a similar apocryphal (see apocrypha sense 2) book
c
: an interpretation of the Christian message
the social gospel
2
capitalized : a lection (see lection sense 1) from one of the New Testament Gospels
3
: the message or teachings of a religious teacher
4
: something accepted or promoted as infallible (see infallible sense 1) truth or as a guiding principle or doctrine
took her words as gospel
spreading the gospel of conservation—R. M. Hodesh
5
: gospel music
gospelly
ˈgä-spə-lē How to pronounce gospel (audio)
adjective

gospel

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: having a basis in or being in accordance with the gospel (see gospel entry 1 sense 1) : evangelical
ordained to the gospel ministry—Christian Century
b
: marked by special or fervid emphasis on the gospel
a gospel meeting
2
: of, relating to, or being religious songs of American origin associated with evangelism and popular devotion and marked by simple melody and harmony and elements of folk songs and blues

Synonyms

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of gospel in a Sentence

Noun a reading from the Gospel of St. John her private gospel is to do good cheerfully and without any expectation of reward
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Continue reading here… ‘TRUE BEAUTY’ - 'American Idol' alum, gospel singer Mandisa dead at 47. —Fox News Staff, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024 The 22-track album also earned Mandisa a gospel/contemporary Christian music performance nomination at the 56th Grammy Awards. —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gospel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gospel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Old English gōdspel (translation of Late Latin evangelium), from gōd good + spell tale — more at spell entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

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

Adjective

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of gospel was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing gospel

Dictionary Entries Near gospel

go spare

gospel

gospeler

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Gospel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gospel. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

gospel

1 of 2 noun
gos·​pel ˈgäs-pəl How to pronounce gospel (audio)
1
a
often capitalized : the Christian message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation
b
capitalized : one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
2
: something accepted as the truth or as a guiding principle
3
: gospel music

gospel

2 of 2 adjective
1
: relating to or in accordance with the gospel : evangelical
2
: of or relating to religious songs associated with evangelism
a gospel singer
Etymology

Noun

Old English gōdspel, a translation of Greek euangelion "gospel," literally, "good tidings, good news"; gōdspel from gōd "good" and spell "talk, tale"

More from Merriam-Webster on gospel

Nglish: Translation of gospel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of gospel for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gospel

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