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Christian

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: christian

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed [one]”) + Latin suffix -ānus. The older form is Christen. Doublet of cretin. By surface analysis, Christ +‎ -ian.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/, /ˈkɹɪstiən/, /ˈkɹɪst͡ʃən/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪstʃən
  • Homophone: Cristian
  • Hyphenation: Chris‧tian

Noun

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Christian (plural Christians)

  2. A believer in Christianity.
    1. (nonstandard) An adherent of Christianity who is not a Catholic; a Protestant.
      • 2011, Denise Tse-Shang Tang, Conditional Spaces: Hong Kong Lesbian Desires and Everyday Life, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, →ISBN, pages 67–68:
        On the contrary, many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians and Catholics, including heterosexual allies of lesbians and gay Christians, of them, have voiced their opinions on the complicated issues of religion and sexuality.
      • 2012, Cheng-tian Kuo, “Institutional Choices of Church-State Relations in Chinese Societies”, in Baogang Guo, Chung-chian Teng, editors, Taiwan and the Rise of China: Cross-Strait Relations in the Twenty-first Century, Lanham: Lexington Books, →ISBN, page 123:
        In South Korea, the Mingjung Theology inspired Christians and Catholics to question the legitimacy of the authoritarian regime.
      • 2013, Eze Ikechukwu, Being a Christian in Igbo Land: Facts, Fictions and Challenges, Berlin: Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH, →ISBN:
        The point of emphasis here is the fact that many Igbo became Catholics or Christians not because they were convinced of the teachings and practice of Christianity but as a result of many factors.
      • 2021, Yahonathan Daweed, Yahweh for Christians: I Am Original Words, Original Truth, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Dorrance Publishing Co, →ISBN, page 161:
        Catholics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and any other dogma that you read about were warring, while fully in their deception from the Light of Truth.
      • 2022, Arthur David Canales, Pastoral Care to and Ministry with LGBTQ Youth and Young Adults, Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, →ISBN, page 69:
        Another way Christians and Catholics are perceived as anti-homosexual is via institutional oppression.
  3. A person who seeks to live his or her life according to the principles and values taught by Jesus Christ.
    • 1526, William Bonde, Preface to Pylgrimage of Perfection:
      Ye lyfe of euery christian, is as a pilgremage.
    • 1976, Friedrich Nietzsche, translated by Walter Arnold Kaufmann, The Antichrist, §39:
      The very word ‘Christianity’ is a misunderstanding—at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross.
    • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section II, page 20:
      ‘You’re riding for a fall, Healey, you know that? There are hedges and ditches ahead and you are on course for an almighty cropper.’
      ‘Sir.’
      ‘And I shall be cheering and laughing as you tumble,’ said Meddlar, his spectacles flashing.
      ‘That’s just the warm-hearted Christian in you, sir.’
  4. (obsolete, England) A European, especially though not necessarily of the Christian religion.

Synonyms

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Hypernyms

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Hyponyms

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Coordinate terms

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religious adherentsedit

Descendants

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Translations

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