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
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/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