Christian

1 of 2

noun

Chris·​tian ˈkris-chən 

ˈkrish-

1

a

: one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ

b(1)

: disciple sense 2

(2)

: a member of one of the Churches of Christ separating from the Disciples of Christ in 1906

(3)

: a member of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ concluded in 1961

2

: the hero in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Christian

2 of 2

adjective

1

a

: of or relating to Christianity

Christian scriptures

b

: based on or conforming with Christianity

Christian ethics

2

a

: of, relating to, or being a Christian

Christian responsibilities

b

: professing Christianity

a Christian affirmation

a Christian country

3

: treating other people in a kind or generous way

has a very Christian concern for others

Christianly adjective or adverb

Examples of Christian in a Sentence

Adjective

Many of my friends are Christian.

He showed a very Christian concern for others.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The five-man combination of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon leads the league in points per possessions. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024

And Christian Braun contested the other as time expired. —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024

Adjective

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to return for the team’s Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a weekly radio appearance Thursday. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024

Running back Christian McCaffrey should make his season debut Sunday when the 49ers (4-4) visit the Tampa Bay Bucs (4-5), so long as McCaffrey’s Achilles issues don’t flare up after this week’s re-entry to practice. —Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Latin christianus, adjective & noun, from Greek christianos, from Christos — see Christ

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Phrases Containing Christian

• anti-Christian
• Christian Brother
• Christian era
• Christian name
• Christian nationalism
• Christian nationalist
• Christian Science
• Judeo-Christian
• non-Christian
• post-Christian
• pre-Christian
• un-Christian

Kids Definition

Christian

1 of 2 noun

Chris·​tian ˈkris-chən 

ˈkrish-

1

: a person who believes in Jesus Christ and follows his teachings

2

: a member of a Christian church

Christian

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to Jesus Christ or the religion based on his teachings

2

: of or relating to Christians

a Christian nation

3

: being what a Christian should be or do

Christian behavior