What does christian mean?
A Christian is a person who professes faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and seeks to follow his teachings, while as an adjective the word describes anything relating to Christianity — its beliefs, institutions, texts, or culture. The term originated in the first century AD among Greek-speaking communities in Antioch, where outsiders first applied it to Jesus's followers, who had previously referred to themselves simply as disciples of 'the Way'. Today roughly a third of the world's population identifies as Christian, spanning Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and other traditions. Beyond its core religious sense, the word is often used more loosely to describe conduct marked by compassion, forgiveness, or charity — as in calling an act of mercy 'very Christian'. It is always written with a capital letter when referring to the religion or a believer, reflecting its status as a proper noun derived from the name of Christ.
A person who believes in and follows Jesus Christ; an adherent of Christianity.
"The cathedral was filled with Christians gathered for the Easter service."
Always capitalized; plural is 'Christians'.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of Christianity or its teachings; also, showing kindness or mercy of a kind associated with Christ's example.
"They offered shelter to the refugees as an act of Christian charity."
Regular pluralization; always capitalized regardless of context.
"Early Christians met secretly in private homes to avoid persecution."
The word 'Christian' was coined by outsiders — early followers of Jesus called themselves disciples of 'the Way', and it was non-believers in ancient Antioch who first branded them 'Christians'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of christian
The word derives from Latin 'Christianus', itself from Greek 'Christianos', meaning 'follower of Christ'. It was first used in the early first century AD at Antioch, where non-believers coined the label for adherents of the new movement centered on Jesus of Nazareth. The root ultimately traces back to Hebrew 'mashiach' ('anointed one'), rendered into Greek as 'Christos', from which related words such as 'Christendom', 'Christmas', and 'christen' also descend.
Word family
Usage notes
Capitalized when referring to the religion or a believer; sometimes used adjectivally to describe generous or forgiving behavior, though this can carry religious connotations the speaker may not intend.
Don't confuse with
'Catholic' (lowercase) means broad or all-embracing in taste or interests, while 'Christian' refers specifically to followers of Jesus Christ; 'Catholic' capitalized denotes a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
'Crystal' is a piece of transparent mineral or glassware, unrelated in meaning to 'Christian', but the two words share the '-stal/-stian'-like ending that can trip up spellers.