A member of a Christian church that separated from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation, or someone who publicly objects to something.
Protestant comes from Latin 'protestans' (affirming solemnly), used in the Reformation when Christian reformers 'protested' against Catholic practices. It later extended to mean anyone who objects.
The word 'protestant' is fascinating because it started as a religious protest in 1517 (Martin Luther's 95 Theses) and the name literally means 'someone who protests'—so even the name was a statement of defiance!
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