variants
or less commonly baptise
baptized also baptised; baptizing also baptising
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
Sidney Lanier
b
: initiate
Both developments were baptized under last season's conditions of scanty snow …—New York Times
New York Times3
: to give a name to (as at baptism) : christen
They baptized their son "John" after the baby's grandfather.
: 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
Any male baptized in the Roman Catholic church is eligible to serve as pope.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
After each round of full-body exfoliation, a giant basin of warm water was dumped over my body, like I was being baptized.
—Anna Haines, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
He was recently baptized and now devotes much of his platform to his newfound Christian faith.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
He was tutored by men from the Dominican order and he was baptized at St. Gertrude, a Dominican priory in Cincinnati.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baptize
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
After each round of full-body exfoliation, a giant basin of warm water was dumped over my body, like I was being baptized.
—Anna Haines, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
He was recently baptized and now devotes much of his platform to his newfound Christian faith.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
He was tutored by men from the Dominican order and he was baptized at St. Gertrude, a Dominican priory in Cincinnati.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baptize
Cite this Entry
“Baptize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baptize. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
baptize
verb
bap·tize
bap-ˈtīz 
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
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