baptism
Other forms: baptisms
In the Christian church, baptism is a rite that symbolizes spiritual purification and rebirth. If you’ve had a baptism, it probably involved being dipped in water or having water sprinkled on you, lots of proud relatives, and hopefully cake afterwards.
The word baptism can be traced to the Greek word baptismos, meaning “ceremonial washing.” This cleansing rite typically takes place when you’re a child and is often seen as an initiation into the church. Baptism can be used more broadly to describe other kinds of initiations as well. If you go through a difficult experience on your first day on the job, you could say that was your baptism as a customer service rep.
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a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth“most churches baptize infants but some insist on adult baptism”types:affusionthe act of baptizing someone by pouring water on their headchristeninggiving a Christian name at baptismimmersiona form of baptism in which part or all of a person's body is submergedtrine immersionbaptism by immersion three times (in the names in turn of the Trinity)type of:sacramenta formal religious ceremony conferring a specific grace on those who receive it; the two Protestant ceremonies are baptism and the Lord's Supper; in the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church there are seven traditional rites accepted as instituted by Jesus: baptism and confirmation and Holy Eucharist and penance and holy orders and matrimony and extreme unction
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Vocabulary lists containing baptism
The suffix ism is added to words to mean "the process or action of" or "the system, principle, or theory of." We're sure you'll learn these -ism words with optimism!
Have faith: If you learn these words related to world religions, you'll soon be a theological expert. Review all of the major denominations and sects, from Anglicanism to Zoroastrianism, as well as religious terms such as conversion, fundamentalism, heresy, and more.
The suffix ism is added to words to mean "the process or action of" or "the system, principle, or theory of." These four lists are arranged from easiest to most challenging. Learn them all and enjoy the feeling of optimism! Here are links to our lists in the collection: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4