Xmas
Americanabbreviation
noun
Sensitive Note
The abbreviation Xmas for Christmas dates from the mid 16th century. The X is the Greek letter chi, the initial letter in the word Χριστός ( Chrīstos ) “Christ.” In spite of a long and respectable history, today Xmas is offensive to many, perhaps because of its associations with advertising. It is not used in formal writing.
Etymology
Origin of Xmas
C16: from symbol X for Christ + -mas
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.
Last year Tennant appeared with Tate at the TV Baftas to present the best features award to Joe Lycett vs Beckham: Got Your Back At Xmas.
From BBC • Jan. 5, 2024
One of those men was Kevin Hammer, a Brooklyn native once referred to in the local news as the “Bill Gates of Xmas Trees.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2023
The X in Xmas as an abbreviation for Christmas definitely does come from the Greek letter χ.
From Scientific American • Aug. 10, 2023
Everyone residing in Who-ville felt zealous concerning Xmas quite a lot … but the Grinch, you know, up on his snowy mountain perch, did NOT!
From Washington Post • Nov. 23, 2022
My son adores playing with a doll I bought for him last Xmas.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
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.
