Mennonite

[men-uh-nahyt]

noun

1. a member of an evangelical Protestant sect, originating in Europe in the 16th century, that opposes infant baptism, practices baptism of believers only, restricts marriage to members of the denomination, opposes war and bearing arms, and is noted for simplicity of living and plain dress.

Mennonite

/ ˈmɛnəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a member of a Protestant sect that rejects infant baptism, Church organization, and the doctrine of transubstantiation and in most cases refuses military service, public office, and the taking of oaths

Other Word Forms

• Mennonitism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mennonite¹

1555–65; < German Mennonit; named after Menno Simons (1492–1559), Frisian religious leader; -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mennonite¹

C16: from German Mennonit, after Menno Simons (1496–1561), Frisian religious leader

Example Sentences

Cases were concentrated in close-knit Mennonite communities where people relied on home remedies before seeking medical care.

From Salon

In Ontario, health authorities say the outbreak began in late 2024, when an individual contracted measles at a large Mennonite gathering in New Brunswick and then returned home.

From BBC

Health officials say that measles spread is occurring mostly in neighbourhoods where vaccination rates are lower, such as Mennonite communities in Texas that opt out of modern medicine.

From BBC

On an unusually crisp April day in a rural Texas town, dozens of Mennonite community members gathered alongside the nation's top health official, Robert F Kennedy Jr, to mourn an eight-year-old.

From BBC

Kennedy continued the message by arguing that the Mennonites who refuse vaccination are "resilient, hardworking, resourceful, and God-loving people," with the unsubtle implication that people who do vaccinate are less virtuous.

From Salon