CHRISTIAN

christian

(adjective) following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ

Christian

(adjective) relating to or characteristic of Christianity; “Christian rites”

Christian

(noun) a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

Christian (plural Christians)

A believer in Christianity.

An individual who seeks to live his or her life according to the principles and values taught by Jesus Christ.

(obsolete, UK) A European.

Hypernyms

• religionist, theist, monotheist, Abrahamist, People of the Book

Hyponyms

• Christianess

• Christianist

• Catholic

• Orthodox

• Anglican

• Protestant

Proper noun

Christian (plural Christians)

A male given name from Ancient Greek found in England since the twelfth century.

A female given name from Ancient Greek of medieval usage, rare today.

A patronymic surname.

Adjective

Christian (comparative more Christian, superlative most Christian)

(not comparable) Of, like or relating to Christianity or Christians.

(not comparable) Of, like or relating to Jesus Christ.

Kind, charitable; moral; a term of approbation.

Usage notes

• Use of the term "Christian" in the generalised approbative sense "kind, moral" may be displeasing to some non-Christians.

Synonyms

• (kind): charitable, helpful, kind, neighborly/neighbourly, sweet (informal)

Antonyms

• (of or relating to Christianity or Christians): agnostic, atheist, heathen, non-Christian, pagan

• (charitable, moral): corrupt, immoral, improper, unjust, savage

Anagrams

• Christina, trichinas

Source: Wiktionary

Chris"tian, n. Etym: [L. christianus, Gr. cristen. See Christ.]

1. One who believes, or professes or is assumed to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him; especially, one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Acts xi. 26.

2. One born in a Christian country or of Christian parents, and who has not definitely becomes an adherent of an opposing system.

3. (Eccl.) (a) One of a Christian denomination which rejects human creeds as bases of fellowship, and sectarian names. They are congregational in church government, and baptize by immersion. They are also called Disciples of Christ, and Campbellites. (b) One of a sect (called Christian Connection) of open-communion immersionists. The Bible is their only authoritative rule of faith and practice.

Note: In this sense, often pronounced, but not by the members of the sects, kris"chan.

Chris"tian, a.

1. Pertaining to Christ or his religion; as, Christian people.

3. Pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical; as, a Christian court. Blackstone.

4. Characteristic of Christian people; civilized; kind; kindly; gentle; beneficent. The graceful tact; the Christian art. Tennyson. Christian Commission. See under Commission.

– Christian court. Same as Ecclesiastical court.

– Christian era, the present era, commencing with the birth of Christ. It is supposed that owing to an error of a monk (Dionysius Exiguus, d. about 556) employed to calculate the era, its commencement was fixed three or four years too late, so that 1890 should be 1893 or 1894.

– Christian name, the name given in baptism, as distinct from the family name, or surname.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition