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Christianize

American  
[kris-chuh-nahyz] / ˈkrɪs tʃəˌnaɪz /
especially British, Christianise

verb (used with object)

  • Christianizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • Christianized,
    past participle,  past
  • Christianizing
    present participle
  1. to make Christian.

  2. to imbue with Christian principles.


Christianize British  
/ ˈkrɪstʃəˌnaɪz /

verb

  1. to make Christian or convert to Christianity

  2. to imbue with Christian principles, spirit, or outlook

"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

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Conjugated Forms

Present

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Etymology

Origin of Christianize

First recorded in 1585–95; Christian + -ize


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:

What was the result of Portugal’s effort to Christianize the subjects of the Sultanate of Ternate?

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

“Haakon Jarl” charts the rocky reign of the titular ruler who favored the Norse gods and fought the advance of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II as well as further attempts to Christianize Norway.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 6, 2022

“It’s often portrayed as though Woodbridge took him in to Christianize an Indian man, but that was not it at all,” said Hermes.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 10, 2019

His persuasive powers must have been astounding: Ireland fully converted to Christianity within 200 years and was the only country in Europe to Christianize peacefully.

From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2013

There are eighteen missionaries in Sitka, under the Presbyterian jurisdiction, trying to educate and Christianize the Indians.

From Oregon, Washington and Alaska; Sights and Scenes for the Tourist by E. L. (Edward Lloyd) Lomax

And hence Hutchinson, thoroughly imbued with these Christian views of Masonry, has called the Master Mason's order a Christian degree, and thus Christianizes the whole symbolism of its mythical history.

From The Symbolism of Freemasonry by Albert G. Mackey

The Bible both moralizes and Christianizes those who permit its holy influence to move them to loving obedience of the Lord Jesus.

From A Trip Abroad by Don Carlos Janes

Mr. Romm notes that though the Roman Empire in Stobaeus’ time was largely Christianized, there’s little evidence of that in the anthology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Many Roman festive practices did find sanctuary in the medieval liturgical calendar, in modified and Christianized form.

From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024

And the authors, who were men as far as we know, were Christianized people writing about their “pagan” ancestors.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 15, 2022

This Christianized version of an ancient Greek model of the universe is where the concept that God and heaven are “up in the sky” and hell is “below the ground” originated.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

In Iceland, naturally by its position the last northern country to be Christianized, the missionaries seem to have been gentler, or, perhaps, they had less influence.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

They were isolated from their homes and culture with the aim of Christianizing and assimilating them into mainstream society, which previous Canadian governments considered superior.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2022

St. Vladimir of Kyiv, as the Russians came to call him, became credited with Christianizing Russia.

From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2022

In 1693, Cotton Mather took on the challenge of Christianizing the heathen population without ending enslavement.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2015

Colonialism, against its own Christianizing designs was, it seems, killing religion.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2014

But Father played the cool cat, not admitting what a miserable failure he had been so far at the Christianizing trade.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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