baptize

verb

bap·​tize ˈbap-ˌtīz 

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

Synonyms

• call
• christen
• clepe [archaic]
• denominate
• designate
• dub
• entitle
• label
• name
• nominate
• style
• term
• title

Examples of baptize in a Sentence

The priest baptized the baby.

She was baptized at the age of 20.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not of the bigamy, nor of baby Patricia, born on April 20, 1953, in Brooklyn, and baptized at St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Ridge three months later. —Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

Recent footage saw him in tighty-whities, baptizing townsfolk in a river. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2024

The story starts with two young Mormon women on a mission to baptize converts. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024

Her parents were living out of a hotel to be near her, and although Pat and Lindsay hadn’t been particularly religious, the pastor who’d baptized Callan had been visiting weekly from Duxbury to pray. —Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024

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

Kids 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)

b

: initiate entry 1 sense 3

3

: to give a name to (as in the ceremony of baptism) : christen

baptizer noun