gospel
1 of 2noun
gos·pel ˈgä-spəl 
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
R. M. Hodesh5
: gospel music
gospelly
ˈgä-spə-lē
adjective gospel
2 of 2adjective
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
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
- credo
- creed
- doctrine
- dogma
- ideology
- idealogy
- philosophy
- testament
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, 18 Sep. 2022 Cate Kittlitz is an influencer who swears by the three-word method and has been spreading the gospel with her 325,000 TikTok followers. Maria Santa Poggi, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2022 In 2013, when a young writer and software developer named Vitalik Buterin wrote an impassioned screed defending the blockchain gospel for his publication, Bitcoin Magazine, cryptocurrencies were still a niche curiosity. Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2022 Mavis Staples, the gospel legend and Newport mainstay, gets a say in Sweet’s booking choices each year. Kara Voght, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2022 Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the gospel/Christian music community. Paul Grein, Billboard, 15 July 2022 The gospel was election reform — and a false claim that Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden in the presidential contest two years ago. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2022 In addition to writing the third gospel, Luke was also a doctor, and is now considered the patron saint of physicians, surgeons, and students. John. Martha Sorren, Woman's Day, 11 July 2022 The show will also highlight three musical genres — gospel/Christian, tropical Latin and bluegrass — that are not traditionally part of the show, presumably as bumpers leading into commercial breaks. Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Apr. 2022 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 Large chunks of the film are made up of Cambridge Analytica sales decks, which the directors appear to take as gospel truth about how sophisticated and successful the company was. L.m., The Economist, 24 July 2019 Market prices, of course, are no more gospel truth than are the extrapolations of economists. James Mackintosh, WSJ, 30 July 2018 Gospel stage production about family's struggle with alcoholism and their journey back to God through faith, hope and love. Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati.com, 5 July 2017 Gospel singer Bebe Winans sings beautiful hymns; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker joins her on stage. Capricia Marshall, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Dec. 2016 See More
Noun
In 2001, the baby whispering method was the gospel (Find your baby’s personality type! Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, 18 Sep. 2022 Cate Kittlitz is an influencer who swears by the three-word method and has been spreading the gospel with her 325,000 TikTok followers. Maria Santa Poggi, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2022 In 2013, when a young writer and software developer named Vitalik Buterin wrote an impassioned screed defending the blockchain gospel for his publication, Bitcoin Magazine, cryptocurrencies were still a niche curiosity. Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2022 Mavis Staples, the gospel legend and Newport mainstay, gets a say in Sweet’s booking choices each year. Kara Voght, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2022 Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the gospel/Christian music community. Paul Grein, Billboard, 15 July 2022 The gospel was election reform — and a false claim that Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden in the presidential contest two years ago. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2022 In addition to writing the third gospel, Luke was also a doctor, and is now considered the patron saint of physicians, surgeons, and students. John. Martha Sorren, Woman's Day, 11 July 2022 The show will also highlight three musical genres — gospel/Christian, tropical Latin and bluegrass — that are not traditionally part of the show, presumably as bumpers leading into commercial breaks. Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Apr. 2022 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 Large chunks of the film are made up of Cambridge Analytica sales decks, which the directors appear to take as gospel truth about how sophisticated and successful the company was. L.m., The Economist, 24 July 2019 Market prices, of course, are no more gospel truth than are the extrapolations of economists. James Mackintosh, WSJ, 30 July 2018 Gospel stage production about family's struggle with alcoholism and their journey back to God through faith, hope and love. Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati.com, 5 July 2017 Gospel singer Bebe Winans sings beautiful hymns; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker joins her on stage. Capricia Marshall, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Dec. 2016 See More 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
Phrases Containing gospel
Kids Definition
gospel
noun
gos·pel ˈgä-spəl
1
often capitalized : the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles
2
: something told or accepted as being absolutely true
gospels
noun
as in philosophies
the basic beliefs or guiding principles of a person or group her private gospel is to do good cheerfully and without any expectation of reward Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- philosophies
- doctrines
- ideologies
- dogmata
- creeds
- axioms
- dogmas
- testaments
- theories
- idealogies
- manifestos
- manifestoes
- metaphysics
- credos
- tenets
- watchwords