1. Plural of modalist; adherents of modalism, a Christian theological doctrine that God exists in different modes or manifestations rather than as distinct persons in the Trinity.
Usage: theology; historical; often used in academic or religious studies contexts

Examples

• Early church fathers debated the views of modalists who rejected the traditional doctrine of the Trinity.
• Modalists argued that God revealed himself in different modes throughout history.
• The writings of modalists influenced theological discussions in the second and third centuries.
• Some scholars trace modalist ideas back to Sabellius and his followers.
• Modalists were eventually condemned as heretical by mainstream Christian orthodoxy.