pre-Christian
adjective
pre-Chris·tian
(ˌ)prē-ˈkris-chən 
-ˈkrish-
: of, relating to, or being a time before the beginning of the Christian era
Examples of pre-Christian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His benevolent counterpart, St. Nicholas, will then gift children who have been good on the following day, known as the Feast of St. Nicholas.
Celebrations involving the two began in pre-Christian times as far back as the sixth century.
—
Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Researchers noted potential overlap with pre-Christian Georgia seals dating back to the fourth millennium BCE, while other shapes resemble both early Caucasian, Phoenician, and Proto-Sinaitic languages.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024
Originally, the creature was thought to have come from the old pre-Christian myths involving beasts from the forest and creatures such as satyrs, Krampus became linked with St Nicholas in the Middle Ages, the site said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 2024
Through these travels, St. Patrick and other missionaries blended the old ways of pre-Christian Ireland with the new values brought by Christians like Patrick.
—Diane Owens Prettyman, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Mar. 2024
In Scotland and Ireland, there’s an understandably heavier Celtic influence upon it all, rooted in Samhain, the pre-Christian Gaelic festival between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice marking the harvest.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
All forms of contemporary Paganism look to pre-Christian European religions to inform their religious practice.
—Helen A. Berger, The Conversation, 7 Dec. 2023
Lighting and jumping over bonfires has been a way to mark the solstice since pre-Christian times, according to National Trust.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 June 2024
In the early 1200s, these stories were written down by Christian scholars into what became collections of Old Norse poetry and Sagas (Saga was the Norse goddess of history) set in pre-Christian Iceland.
—Kristina Lindborg, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024
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Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Researchers noted potential overlap with pre-Christian Georgia seals dating back to the fourth millennium BCE, while other shapes resemble both early Caucasian, Phoenician, and Proto-Sinaitic languages.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024
Originally, the creature was thought to have come from the old pre-Christian myths involving beasts from the forest and creatures such as satyrs, Krampus became linked with St Nicholas in the Middle Ages, the site said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 2024
Through these travels, St. Patrick and other missionaries blended the old ways of pre-Christian Ireland with the new values brought by Christians like Patrick.
—Diane Owens Prettyman, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Mar. 2024
In Scotland and Ireland, there’s an understandably heavier Celtic influence upon it all, rooted in Samhain, the pre-Christian Gaelic festival between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice marking the harvest.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
All forms of contemporary Paganism look to pre-Christian European religions to inform their religious practice.
—Helen A. Berger, The Conversation, 7 Dec. 2023
Lighting and jumping over bonfires has been a way to mark the solstice since pre-Christian times, according to National Trust.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 June 2024
In the early 1200s, these stories were written down by Christian scholars into what became collections of Old Norse poetry and Sagas (Saga was the Norse goddess of history) set in pre-Christian Iceland.
—Kristina Lindborg, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024
Dictionary Entries Near pre-Christian
Cite this Entry
“Pre-Christian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pre-Christian. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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