Definition

1. Verb:
   • To perform the Christian sacrament of baptism on someone: This is the primary religious meaning, referring to the ceremony of sprinkling with or immersion in water, symbolizing purification and admission to the Christian Church.
   • To give a name to someone, especially during a baptism ceremony: This meaning extends from the practice of naming a child during the baptismal rite.
   • To inaugurate or initiate something, often with a ceremony: This figurative use applies to naming or launching something, like a ship, in a formal way.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (Religious Ceremony):

  • The priest will baptise the newborn next Sunday.
  • They decided to baptise their son in the family's historic church.

• Verb (Naming):

  • The child was baptised "Eleanor" after her grandmother.
  • In the ceremony, they baptised the new ship "The Spirit of Adventure".

• Verb (Figurative Initiation):

  • The challenging mission baptised him into the realities of field work.
  • The heavy rain baptised the opening of the new stadium.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Spelling Variant: The verb is also commonly spelled baptize, especially in American English. Both "baptise" and "baptize" are correct.
• Religious Context: The term is specific to Christianity. The act typically involves water and is performed by a priest, minister, or other religious official.
• Passive Voice: The verb is frequently used in the passive voice (e.g., "He was baptised").
• "Baptise into": This phrase is used to indicate the specific church, faith, or community one is being admitted to.
  • She was baptised into the Catholic Church.

Variants and Related Words

• Baptism (n): The noun form referring to the ceremony or sacrament itself.
  • The baby's baptism was a joyful event.
• Baptismal (adj): An adjective describing things related to baptism.
  • The family heirloom was the child's baptismal gown.
• Baptist (n): A member of a Protestant Christian denomination that practices believer's baptism.

Synonyms

• Christen: This is a very close synonym, especially for the naming sense and the ceremonial launching of ships. It can sometimes be used interchangeably in religious contexts, though "baptise" is more theologically specific.
• Name: A general synonym for the act of giving a name.
• Initiate: A synonym for the figurative sense of introducing someone to a new experience.
• Consecrate: A more formal synonym, emphasizing making something sacred, which can overlap in religious contexts.

Phrasal Verbs / Common Constructions

• To baptise someone as [name]: To give someone a specific name during baptism.
  • They baptised her as Maria.
• To baptise someone into [faith/group]: To admit someone into a specific religious community through baptism.
  • He was baptised into the local congregation.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• A baptism of fire: A difficult first experience that tests someone's abilities. (Note: This idiom uses the noun "baptism," not the verb "baptise," but is a closely related common expression).
  • His first day as a teacher was a real baptism of fire.

Verb

1. administer baptism to
   • The parents had the child baptized