Christian

1
[ kris-chuhn ]

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith.

  2. of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ: Spain is a Christian country.

  1. of or relating to Christians: many Christian deaths in the Crusades.

  2. exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike: She displayed true Christian charity.

  3. Sometimes Offensive. decent; respectable: They gave him a good Christian burial.

  4. Sometimes Offensive. human; not brutal; humane: Such behavior isn't Christian.

noun
  1. a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity.

  2. a person who exemplifies in their life the teachings of Christ: He died like a true Christian.

  1. a member of any of certain Protestant churches, as the Disciples of Christ and the Plymouth Brethren.

  2. the hero of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

  3. a male given name.

Origin of Christian

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Greek Chrīstiānós, equivalent to Chrīst(ós) Christ + -iānos, from Latin -iānus -ian; replacing Middle English, Old English cristen from Latin, as above

Words Nearby Christian

Other definitions for Christian (2 of 2)

Christian2
[ kris-chuhn ]

noun
  1. Charlie, 1916–42, U.S. jazz guitarist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Christian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Christian (1 of 2)

Christian1

/ (ˈkrɪstʃən) /


noun
    • a person who believes in and follows Jesus Christ

    • a member of a Christian Church or denomination

  1. informal a person who possesses Christian virtues, esp practical ones

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or derived from Jesus Christ, his teachings, example, or his followers

  2. (sometimes not capital) exhibiting kindness or goodness

Derived forms of Christian

  • Christianly, adjective, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for Christian (2 of 2)

Christian2

/ (ˈkrɪstʃən) /


noun
  1. Charlie. 1919–42, US jazz guitarist

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

Cultural definitions for Christian (1 of 2)

Christian

A follower or disciple of Jesus; someone who believes Jesus is the Christ or Messiah. The New Testament mentions that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians within a few years after his death.

Christian

A follower of Jesus and his teachings. Christian is also a descriptive term for the institutions and practices of Christianity.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.