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Glite Dictionary
Anabaptist

Anabaptist

9.9
A member of a Christian group from the 1500s who believes adults, not babies, should be baptized
  • noun
  • /ˌænəˈbæptɪst/
translation icon : anabaptista
  • So very early on you have, you know, the Lutherans in Germany and then you have the Anabaptists, many of whom get get wiped out early on.

So very early on you have, you know, the Lutherans in Germany and then you have the Anabaptists, many of whom get get wiped out early on.

Examples

  • Anabaptist churches in Europe and North America are in decline.

    Blog text (28)

  • Some of the names of the early Anabaptist traditions that still continue today.

  • Anabaptist traditions, history, and economic factors create important bonds between individuals and proximate communities (and, importantly, others in those proximate communities).

    Academic text (2016)

  • The Anabaptist movement gained followers by advocating adult baptism based on personal faith.

  • Many Anabaptist groups emphasize community living and shared resources among their members.

  • In the 16th century, Anabaptists faced persecution for their beliefs about baptism and church membership.

Compounds

Anabaptist denomination
9.6

A Christian group that does not baptize babies but baptizes only adults who say they believe

Surface Forms

Anabaptist singular
Anabaptists plural

Morphology

Anabaptist = baptist (semi-transparent) = ana + baptist

The prefix 'ana-' means 'again' and combined with 'baptist' suggests 'rebaptizer', but 'ana-' is a less familiar learned prefix and the specific historic theological sense (16th-century movement) is not fully derivable by average learners.

Etymology

Anabaptist comes from the parts ana- meaning 'again' and the same root as baptism meaning 'to baptize', so it literally means 'one who is baptized again'. That's why Anabaptists believed people should be baptized as adults, not as babies.