Christian

¹ American  

[kris-chuhn] / ˈkrɪs tʃən /

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.

3. of or relating to Christians.

   many Christian deaths in the Crusades.

4. exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike.

   She displayed true Christian charity.

5. Sometimes Offensive. decent; respectable.

   They gave him a good Christian burial.

6. Sometimes Offensive. human; not brutal; humane.

   Such behavior isn't Christian.

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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.

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

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

5. a male given name.

Christian ² American  

[kris-chuhn] / ˈkrɪs tʃən /

noun

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

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Christian ¹ British  

/ ˈkrɪstʃən /

noun

1. 1. a person who believes in and follows Jesus Christ

   2. a member of a Christian Church or denomination

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

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adjective

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

2. (sometimes not capital) exhibiting kindness or goodness

Christian ² British  

/ ˈkrɪstʃən /

noun

1. Charlie. 1919–42, US jazz guitarist

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Christian ¹ Cultural  

1. 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.

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Christian ² Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• Christianly adjective

Etymology

Origin of Christian

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

Example Sentences

He experimented with Tim Weah at outside back, where he has played for his club teams, and tried unsuccessfully to shake Christian Pulisic out of a career-long scoreless streak by playing him as a striker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

On Easter Sunday, Savannah Guthrie reaffirmed her Christian faith in an Easter video message from a church in New York.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

“We can take every corner, we’ll swing every door first, because we don’t care if we get shot, we’re metal and plastic,” said Christian Van Sloun, Mithril’s chief drone pilot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

As Christians prepare to observe Easter, remarks from Paula White — a longtime spiritual adviser to Donald Trump — are drawing sharp criticism, including from within Christian communities.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

She sank to her knees, closing her eyes, and Hanako could see she was praying, like she had at the Christian revival meetings in the Jerome camp.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata