christen

verb

chris·ten | \ ˈkri-sᵊn

christened; christening\ ˈkris-niŋ

, ˈkri-sə-niŋ \

Definition of christen

transitive verb

1a : baptize sense 1 was christened when he was three months old

b : to name at baptism They christened the baby Anne.

2 : to name or dedicate (something, such as a ship) by a ceremony that often involves breaking a bottle of champagne

3 : name sense 1 The newspaper christened her as the reigning Queen of Tennis.

4 : to use for the first time They christened the new ballpark with a win.

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Examples of christen in a Sentence

He was christened when he was three months old. They christened the baby Anna. The politician was chosen to christen a new ship. The newspaper has christened her as the reigning Queen of Tennis. They christened the new ball park with a win.

Recent Examples on the Web

This was the case with the last Fab Four royal birth: Prince Louis, who was born in April and then christened in early July in a quiet, lovely ceremony. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "When Will Baby Sussex Be Christened?," 10 May 2019 Doyle, meanwhile, also raised Catholic in Burke, Virginia, wears a pendant bearing the visage of the Virgin Mary, for whom Wambach, whose full name is Mary Abigail, was christened. — Jocelyn Silver, WSJ, "At a Critical Time for U.S. Soccer, Abby Wambach Is on a Mission," 15 Apr. 2019 The third child of Prince William and Kate Middleton was christened July 9 at The Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace. — Elizabeth Zwirz, Fox News, "Kensington Palace unveils new Prince George photo in honor of his fifth birthday," 21 July 2018 Wearing the same christening gown that George and Charlotte wore for their ceremonies, Prince Louis was christened on Monday at the Chapel Royal in St. James’s Palace in London. — Maura Hohman, PEOPLE.com, "Princess Charlotte Just Debuted a Brand-New Hair Style — Featuring a Perfect Part!," 9 July 2018 Shutterstock In today's royal family news, Prince Louis has been officially christened into the church of England at The Chapel Royal in St. James' Palace. — Alex Warner, Marie Claire, "A Body Language Expert Compares Kate Middleton with All Three Royal Babies at Their Christenings," 9 July 2018 According to the post, the Duchess of Cambridge was christened on June 20, 1982, which just so happens to be the day before Prince William was born. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Photos of Kate Middleton's Adorable Christening Have Been Revealed," 7 July 2018 The big players, like AT&T’s newly christened WarnerMedia and Disney , poised to acquire movie and television studios from 21st Century Fox , may be able to pay up for now. — Elizabeth Winkler, WSJ, "Why Size Alone Won’t Help Old Media Beat Netflix," 24 June 2018 Lucky little Luna, who turns three this month, later christened her new hangout. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's Over-the-Top Family Playhouse Is Surprisingly Affordable," 6 Apr. 2019

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

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Last Updated

1 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for christen

The first known use of christen was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for christen

christen

verb

English Language Learners Definition of christen

: to baptize (someone)

: to name (someone) at baptism

: to officially give (something, such as a ship) a name in a ceremony that often involves breaking a bottle of champagne

See the full definition for christen in the English Language Learners Dictionary

christen

verb

chris·ten | \ ˈkri-sᵊn

christened; christening

Kids Definition of christen

1 : baptize sense 1

2 : to name at baptism The parents christened the baby Robin.

3 : name entry 2 sense 1 … it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened “Fluffy.”— J. K. Rowling, Chamber of Secrets

4 : to name or dedicate (as a ship) in a ceremony