- present participle of christen.
christening
Americannoun
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christenings
plural
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the ceremony of baptism, especially as accompanied by the giving of a name to a child.
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a public ceremony in which a new ship is formally named and launched.
-
an act or instance of naming or dedicating something new.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of christening
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at christen, -ing 1
Vocabulary lists containing christening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This is why the christening of LACO’s new home is also a homage to its roots: film composers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Porteous, who is based in Jersey, has received royal commissions in the past from Prince William and Catherine, including for behind the scenes moments from Louis' christening, Christmas cards and royal portraits.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
They enact for their confused rescuer the story of the forgotten fairy at the christening, the curse and the spindle—and then go back to sleep.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Then came her indie darling christening, courtesy of Emma Seligman’s “Shiva Baby” in 2020, when she moved to Los Angeles, followed by breakout roles in 2022’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and 2023’s “Bottoms.”
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2025
The christening for little Carlos was scheduled for the morning, so the big event would be Papi Carlos's party that night.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Throughout the decades the chapel has been used for weddings, funerals, christenings - even piano lessons.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Not all these christenings are designed to be complimentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2023
Sunday’s private ceremony, which took place at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, was to celebrate two family christenings, according to the PA report.
From Reuters ● Nov. 21, 2021
Katia Marchesi, 57, stood in line to make an interest payment on the gold chains and medals she and her daughter had received for their christenings and communions.
From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2020
Before long he was entertaining our daughters by taking them to ship christenings.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
