christening

1 of 2

noun

chris·​ten·​ing kri-sə-niŋ How to pronounce christening (audio)
ˈkris-niŋˈ
Synonyms of christeningnext
: the ceremony of baptizing and naming a child

christening

2 of 2

present participle of christen

Examples of christening in a Sentence

Noun The whole family was invited to the christening.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Sea Hunter is powered by two mtu 12V 2000 engines and has accumulated tens of thousands of operational hours since its christening in 2016. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip didn’t announce the name of their eldest son, the now-King Charles, for nearly a month after his birth, waiting until his christening to confirm the name of the future monarch. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 Her cousin Prince Harry (who’s long been close to mom Zara) is reportedly Lena’s godfather, and attended her christening with wife Meghan Markle in 2019, per People. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 13 July 2026 The young family, who’ve chosen this new, secular tradition instead of a christening to welcome their child to the world, are there a day before the ceremony to meet up with core family members. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for christening

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of christening was in the 14th century

Rhymes for christening

See All Rhymes for christening

Browse Nearby Words

Christendom
christening
Christer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Christening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christening. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

christening

noun
: the ceremony of baptizing and naming a child

More from Merriam-Webster on christening

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for christening

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about christening

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