pre-Christian

American

[pree-kris-chuhn] / priˈkrɪs tʃən /

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to a time or period before the Christian Era.

pre-Christian British

adjective

of or referring to the period of history prior to the establishment of Christianity

"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

Etymology

Origin of pre-Christian

First recorded in 1820–30; pre- + Christian

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.

Krampus likely evolved from older, pre-Christian deities, just as Christmas absorbed solstice and midwinter customs, the author explained.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

"One example are neo-pagan groups, a religious and cultural current based on pre-Christian paganism whose followers see themselves as living Scandinavian paganism -- often in contrast to monotheistic religions such as Christianity."

From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2025

The council said the scholar wrote that King Raedwald had a temple in which there were altars to pre-Christian gods alongside an altar to Christ, but did not specifically say that this was at Rendlesham.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2023

Since the 1980s, Neo-Pagans and Wiccans have revived the pre-Christian festival.

From Salon • May 2, 2022

Medieval sites were often associated with holy springs or wells that had been considered sacred in pre-Christian times.

From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023