gospel

1 of 2

noun

gos·​pel ˈgä-spəl How to pronounce gospel (audio)
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 conservationR. M. Hodesh
5
: gospel music
gospelly 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 ministryChristian 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Throughout his seven-decade career, Jones dabbled in big-band jazz, bebop, gospel, blues, soul, funk, quiet storm R&B, disco, rock, and rap. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024 Its lyrics and structure evoke the gospel tradition — a sonic bridge into the realm of spirituality and faith. Alex Rivera, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Smyth had gradually come to accept their theories too as gospel truth, and had incorporated them into his thesis. Jimmy Maher, Ars Technica, 15 Mar. 2020 Meanwhile in South Carolina, Booker's campaign has launched a new radio advertisement on eight urban contemporary and gospel radio stations across the state. Caitlin Conant, CBS News, 6 Dec. 2019 See all Example Sentences for gospel 

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

Dictionary Entries Near gospel

Cite this Entry

“Gospel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gospel. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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

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