Christian Meaning
/ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounUncommon spelling of Christian.
nounA believer in Christianity.
Sentence Examples
The settlers embraced the Christian religion.
The devout Christian persists in his belief.
Christian nationalism and religious freedom are like oil and water.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She follows a ____ faith that celebrates Easter and attends services every Sunday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She is a devout ____ and attends church services every Sunday morning.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed [one]”) + Latin suffix -ānus. The older form is Christen. Doublet of cretin. By surface analysis, Christ + -ian.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Shyl.... If a Iewe wrong a Christian, what is his humillity, reuenge? If a Christian wrong a Iewe, what should his sufferance be by Christian example, why reuenge? The villanie you teach me I will execute, and it shall goe hard but I will better the instruction."
— c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
"“Mahatma Gandhi, I am very anxious to see Christianity naturalized in India, so that it shall be no longer a foreign thing identified with foreign people and a foreign government, but a part of the national life of India... What would you suggest that we do to make that possible?” He very gravely and thoughtfully replied: “I would suggest, first, that all of you Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ.”"
— 1925, E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of the Indian Road, page 118:
"[…]thousands of people have been killed in recent years in violence between Muslims and Christians, in Nigeria and Indonesia in particular, but on a lesser scale in other regions as well."
— 2008, Christopher Catherwood, Making War in the Name of God, page 188:
"In the year 144, the church declared Marcion of Sinope, a rich shipping magnate and part-time theologian, a heretic for declaring the God of the Hebrew scriptures to be inferior to the God of the New Testament. But despite this condemnation, popular Marcionism has continued ever since. You hear Christians lapse into it all the time with the lazy argument, "Oh, that's just the Old Testament", when confronted by the claim that the Bible is violent."
— 2013 October 7, Giles Fraser, “How the Mail Got It Wrong, Again...”, in The Guardian:
"On the contrary, many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians and Catholics, including heterosexual allies of lesbians and gay Christians, of them, have voiced their opinions on the complicated issues of religion and sexuality."
— 2011, Denise Tse-Shang Tang, Conditional Spaces: Hong Kong Lesbian Desires and Everyday Life, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, →ISBN, pages 67–68:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She follows a ____ faith that celebrates Easter and attends services every Sunday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She is a devout ____ and attends church services every Sunday morning.