Standard Lemma guide

Christianize

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkɹɪst͡ʃənaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K R IH1 S CH AH0 N AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make Christian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cause to convert to Christianity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

convert to Christianity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • missionaries have tried to Christianize native people all over the world

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Christianise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: convert

4

verb

Meaning 4

adapt in the name of Christianity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • some people want to Christianize ancient pagan sites

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adapt, accommodate

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English Christian Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English Christianize From Christian + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: نَصَّرَ (naṣṣara) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Asturian: cristianizar — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Catalan: cristianitzar — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 基督教化 (Jīdūjiàohuà) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Dutch: kerstenen — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Esperanto: kristanigi — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • French: christianiser — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Galician: cristianizar — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • German: christianisieren — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • German: verchristlichen — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Greek: εκχριστιανίζω (ekchristianízo) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Irish: críostaigh — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Italian: cristianizzare — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Japanese: キリスト教化する (Kirisuto-kyō-ka suru) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Kazakh: христиандандыру (xristiandandyru) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Korean: 기독교화(基督敎化)하다 (gidokgyohwahada) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Māori: whakakaraitiana — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Occitan: cristianisar — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Polish: chrystianizować — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Polish: schrystianizować — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Portuguese: cristianizar — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Romanian: creștina — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Russian: обраща́ть в христиа́нство (obraščátʹ v xristiánstvo) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Russian: обрати́ть в христиа́нство (obratítʹ v xristiánstvo) — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Serbo-Croatian: kristijanizírati — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Serbo-Croatian: pokr̀stiti — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Spanish: cristianizar — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Swedish: kristna — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Tagalog: samakakristuhin — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Vietnamese: Kitô giáo hóa — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Vietnamese: Cơ Đốc giáo hóa — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Vietnamese: Thiên Chúa giáo hóa — to (cause to) convert to Christianity
  • Welsh: Cristioneiddio — to (cause to) convert to Christianity