baptize

verb bap·tize \ bap-ˈtīz , ˈbap-ˌ , especially Southern bab- or ˈbab- \

variants: or less commonly baptise

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: baptize in a Sentence

Definition of baptize

baptized also baptised; baptizing also baptising

transitive verb

1 religion : to administer baptism (see baptism 1) to

baptize a child in the Episcopal Church

was baptized a Catholic as an infant

2 a : to purify or cleanse spiritually especially by a purging (see ¹purge 1) experience or ordeal

… baptized with pain and rapture, tears and fire …
—Sidney Lanier

b : initiate

Both developments were baptized under last season's conditions of scanty snow …
—New York Times

3 : to give a name to (as at baptism) : christen

Theybaptized their son "John" after the baby's grandfather.

intransitive verb

: to administer baptism

—

baptizer

noun

See baptize defined for English-language learners

See baptize defined for kids

Examples of baptize in a Sentence

The priest baptized the baby.
She was baptized at the age of 20.

Recent Examples of baptize from the Web

Smith who baptized Garcia, described him as a fun-loving kid who loved football and enjoyed being outdoors.

— andrea diaz, CNN, "A Santa Fe High School student died while trying to protect his art class from the shooter," 22 May 2018
Mattie was baptized a Catholic at an early age and attended Blessed Martin Catholic School through eighth grade.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 4/27," 27 Apr. 2018
The couple attended Mass together, and their children were baptized and given confirmations, but Jeb didn’t convert.

— matthew cooper, Newsweek, "How the Presidential Candidates Found Their Faith," 2 Apr. 2015
Baptismal font That’s Penguins winger Josh Archibald’s son getting baptized in the Cup last year.

— charles curtis, For The Win, "11 things the Stanley Cup has been used for, from golf ball marker to nighttime companion," 7 June 2018
This Sunday, Brian Leupold will become one of the first people baptized in virtual reality.

— samantha swindler, OregonLive.com, "A virtual reality baptism will strengthen Oregon man's faith," 19 May 2018
Folk singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile took to social media to share a story about a pastor who refused to baptizing her as a teenager because of her sexuality.

— patrick crowley, Billboard, "Brandi Carlile Forgives Pastor For Not Baptizing Her As a Teenager Because of Her Sexuality," 19 Jan. 2018
She was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses at the age of 18 and was devoted to her God until death.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Eglin Drummond Elain," 27 May 2018
As the researchers write in the study, in some cultures a child that died before it was baptized was sometimes wrapped up in a textile or buried in a pot with a coin to pay St. John the Baptist for a christening.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "How a Copper Coin Mummified a Baby’s Hand," 26 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baptize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of baptize

Middle English, from Anglo-French baptiser, from Late Latin baptizare, from Greek baptizein to dip, baptize, from baptein to dip, dye; akin to Old Norse kvefja to quench

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

baptize Synonyms

Synonyms

call, christen, denominate, designate, dub, entitle, label, name, nominate, style, term, title;

Related Words

brand, stigmatize, tag;

denote, specify;

miscall, misname, mistitle;

nickname;

surname;

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

BAPTIZE Defined for English Language Learners

baptize

verb

Definition of baptize for English Language Learners

: to perform the ceremony of baptism for (someone)
: to officially make someone a member of a specified Christian church through the ceremony of baptism
: to give (someone) a name through the ceremony of baptism