pre-Christian

adjective

pre-Chris·​tian (ˌ)prē-ˈkris-chən How to pronounce pre-Christian (audio)
-ˈkrish-
: of, relating to, or being a time before the beginning of the Christian era

Examples of pre-Christian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In Scotland and Ireland, there’s an understandably heavier Celtic influence upon it all, rooted in Samhain, the pre-Christian Gaelic festival between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice marking the harvest. Guy Martin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 All forms of contemporary Paganism look to pre-Christian European religions to inform their religious practice. Helen A. Berger, The Conversation, 7 Dec. 2023 Lighting and jumping over bonfires has been a way to mark the solstice since pre-Christian times, according to National Trust. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 June 2024 In the early 1200s, these stories were written down by Christian scholars into what became collections of Old Norse poetry and Sagas (Saga was the Norse goddess of history) set in pre-Christian Iceland. Kristina Lindborg, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024 Many of these festivals stem from pre-Christian pagan traditions in Europe, including Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic cultures. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2024 Its evolution began in the pre-Christian era of Western Europe, when the Celtic world was the predominant cultural force in the region. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024 Promiscuity of belief has been relatively normal for much of human history, as was evident in the pre-Christian Roman Empire, or is evident in Japan or China. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2010 For pre-Christian Romans, Africa, or at least the part of it along the Mediterranean that Rome had occupied, was not marginal, not a hinterland. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pre-Christian was in 1828

Dictionary Entries Near pre-Christian

Cite this Entry

“Pre-Christian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pre-Christian. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

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