Mennonite
/ˈmɛnəˌnaɪt/ noun, adjective
Forms Mennonites
- noun A member of any of a group of Protestant churches or denominations in the Anabaptist tradition, practicing credobaptism and committed to nonresistance and nonviolence, many of whom may wear plain dress and shun modern technology.
- adjective Of, pertaining to, or related to a Mennonite or Mennonites or to their movement and church(es).
Synonyms
Etymology
Eponymous to Menno Simons, the second-generation leader of the denomination, + -ite. Menno's own name is of West Frisian origin and was originally spelled Minne (compare the name Mein, itself ultimately related to *magan (“to be able”)).
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of a small denomination of Christians, so called from Menno Simons of Friesland, their founder. They believe that the New Testament is the only rule of faith, that there is no original sin, that infants should not be baptized, and that Christians ought not to take oath, hold office, or render military service.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Mennonite”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details