# Christian

Pronunciation: say "KRIS-chuhn" /ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/

## Adjective

1. Of, relating to, or resembling Christianity or its followers.
   - Simple: Having to do with the religion of Christianity or its followers.
   - _Christian values shaped much of European art and literature._
   - _The village still keeps several old Christian traditions at Easter._
3. Of, relating to, or resembling Jesus Christ and his example.
   - Simple: Having to do with Jesus Christ, his life, and his teaching.
   - _Christian compassion, drawn directly from the example of Jesus, guided her work._
   - _The sermon called for a Christian humility, modeled on Jesus washing his disciples' feet._
4. Kind, charitable, and morally good; used approvingly of a person's conduct.
   - Simple: Kind, generous, and behaving in a good, decent way.
   - _Sharing your last meal with a stranger is a truly Christian act._
   - _He told her it wasn't very Christian to hold such a bitter grudge._
6. Of, relating to, or typical of Protestant churches, beliefs, or believers, as distinguished from Catholic ones. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: Having to do with Protestant Christians rather than Catholics.
   - _In the town's old way of speaking, a Christian school meant a Protestant one, and Catholic families sent their children elsewhere._
   - _He was buried with Christian rites rather than Catholic ones._

## Noun

2. A person who believes in Jesus Christ and follows Christianity and its teachings.
   - Simple: A person who believes in Jesus Christ and follows the Christian religion.
   - _He became a Christian after years of searching for faith._
   - _Christians around the world observe Easter each spring._
5. A Protestant follower of Christianity, as distinguished from a Catholic. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: A Protestant: a follower of Christianity who is not a Roman Catholic.
   - _Her grandmother still asked whether a new neighbor was a Christian or a Catholic, by which she meant Protestant or Catholic._
   - _Local Christians and Catholics maintained separate schools for generations._

## Noun

7. A person from Europe, typically though not always one who practiced the Christian faith. *(obsolete, England)*
   - Simple: A European person, whether or not they followed the Christian religion.

## Other meanings

- (proper noun) A man's given name, of Ancient Greek origin, that has been in use in England since the 1100s.
- (proper noun) A surname that originated as a patronymic.
- (proper noun) A female given name, from Ancient Greek, used in medieval times and rare today.

## Origin

This comes through Middle English Cristien and Old French chrestien from Latin Chrīstiānus, formed on Chrīstus (from Greek Khrīstós, "Christ, anointed one") with the suffix -iānus; Greek Khrīstiānós has the same Latin ending. Cretin most likely comes from the same word, and by surface analysis it is Christ + -ian.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/christian (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).