Definition of: Waldenses

(wol·den′sēz) noun plural
A sect of religious dissenters founded about 1170 by Peter Waldo or Valdo, a rich merchant of Lyons, France. Waldo and his disciples sought to restore the church to its early purity and poverty, but were excommunicated by Pope Alexander III, and severely persecuted. [<Med. L Waldenses of (Peter) Waldo]
—Wal·den′si·an adjective & noun