evangelism
UK[ɪˈvændʒəlɪzəm]US[ɪˈvændʒəlɪzəm]
n
the zealous preaching or spreading of a religious message, especially the christian gospel.
n
zealous advocacy or promotion of a particular cause or doctrine.
Morpheme Breakdown
evangel
ism
evangel
gospel
ism
doctrine or system
Etymology
the word evangelism is a direct borrowing into english from late latin evangelismus, which itself originates from the greek euangelion, meaning "good news." the greek term is a compound of eu- (meaning "good") and angelia (meaning "message" or "announcement"), thus literally "a bringing of good news." in early christian usage, it specifically referred to the teachings of jesus christ. the suffix -ism, denoting a practice or system, was attached to form a noun describing the active doctrine or practice of proclaiming this gospel. therefore, evangelism logically evolved from its literal ancient meaning of "announcing good news" to its modern abstract sense of zealous preaching or advocacy for a religious or ideological cause.
Analysis
Structure: evangel (gospel) + ism (doctrine or system)
evangel (from greek εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) meaning "good news" or "gospel") + ism (a suffix from greek -ισμός (-ismos), forming nouns denoting a system, principle, or ideological movement).
Examples
his life was dedicated to evangelism and missionary work in remote areas.
the company's evangelism for its new technology helped it gain early adopters.
she approached her environmental campaign with the fervor of religious evangelism.