protestant Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an adherent of Protestantism
  2. noun the Protestant churches and denominations collectively
    Protestant Church.
  3. adjective of or relating to Protestants or Protestantism
    • Protestant churches
    • a Protestant denomination
  4. adjective satellite protesting

WordNet

Prot"es*tant noun
Etymology
F. protestant, fr. L. protestans, -antis, p. pr. of protestare. See Protest, v.
Definitions
  1. One who protests; -- originally applied to those who adhered to Luther, and protested against, or made a solemn declaration of dissent from, a decree of the Emperor Charles V. and the Diet of Spires, in 1529, against the Reformers, and appealed to a general council; -- now used in a popular sense to designate any Christian who does not belong to the Roman Catholic or the Greek Church.
Prot"es*tant adjective
Etymology
Cf. F. protestant.
Definitions
  1. Making a protest; protesting.
  2. Of or pertaining to the faith and practice of those Christians who reject the authority of the Roman Catholic Church; as, Protestant writers.

Webster 1913