baptize

verb

bap·​tize ˈbap-ˌtīz How to pronounce baptize (audio)
bap-ˈtīz,
 especially Southern  bab-ˈtīz,
 or  ˈbab-ˌtīz
variants or less commonly baptise
baptized also baptised; baptizing also baptising

transitive verb

1
religion : to administer baptism (see baptism sense 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 purge entry 1 sense 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
They baptized their son "John" after the baby's grandfather.

intransitive verb

: to administer baptism
baptizer noun

Examples of baptize in a Sentence

The priest baptized the baby. She was baptized at the age of 20.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Within a decade, the king of Kongo was baptized as a Catholic, changing his name from Nzinga a Nkuwu to João I. Nzinga Mbemba succeeded João I as King Afonso I with the support of Portuguese clergy. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 July 2025 Vance was baptized Catholic at St. Gertrude Church in Cincinnati, about a 15-minute drive from his home. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Their oldest child, Ewan, has decided to be baptized Catholic. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Roughly a century later, in 1699, the tenth guru prohibited baptized Sikhs from cutting their hair, and the turban became enshrined as a martial and spiritual requirement for men. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for baptize

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of baptize was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Baptize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baptize. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

baptize

verb
bap·​tize bap-ˈtīz How to pronounce baptize (audio)
ˈbap-ˌtīz
baptized; baptizing
1
: to dip in water or sprinkle water on as a part of the ceremony of receiving into the Christian church
2
a
: to make pure in spirit (as by a painful experience)
3
: to give a name to (as in the ceremony of baptism) : christen
baptizer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on baptize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!