Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Christchurch

American  
[krahyst-church] / ˈkraɪstˌtʃɜrtʃ /

noun

  1. a city on E South Island, in New Zealand.

Christchurch British  
/ ˈkraɪstˌtʃɜːtʃ /

noun

  1. a city in New Zealand, on E South Island: manufacturing centre of a rich agricultural region. Pop: 344 100 (2004 est)

  2. a town and resort in S England, in SE Dorset. Pop: 40 208 (2001)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

One such hub is Timaru, population 29,000, located about two hours drive south of Christchurch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

The force said a man aged in his 40s from Christchurch was pronounced dead at the scene.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

An international hero of progressive politics, Ardern steered New Zealand through natural disasters, the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Residents at Iford Bridge Home Park near Christchurch, where the levels of the River Stour had been rising, were evacuated on Wednesday.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Cotter contacted Hall to tell him that Jan Arnold was on the satellite phone from Christchurch and was waiting to be patched through.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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.