dechristianise

The government's campaign sought to dechristianise public holidays.

Definition

Verb (transitive): - To remove Christian character or influence from: "dechristianise" means to strip something of its Christian qualities, symbols, practices, or identity. It often refers to the systematic removal of Christian elements from institutions, culture, or society.

Usage Examples

• (To remove Christian influence from the government.)
• (To strip Christian elements from intellectual life.)
• (To remove Christian content from education.)

Advanced Usage

• "to dechristianise a nation": to systematically eliminate Christian traditions and institutions from a country's public life.

  • The regime attempted to dechristianise the nation through propaganda and legal reforms. (To remove Christian identity from the entire country.)

• "dechristianised art": art that has been stripped of Christian themes or symbols.

  • The museum displayed dechristianised sculptures that had originally been part of a cathedral. (Artwork that had its Christian elements removed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dechristianisation (n): the process or result of dechristianising.
  • The dechristianisation of the calendar was a key step in the revolution. (The act of removing Christian references from the calendar.)
• Dechristianise (v, intransitive, rare): to become less Christian in character.
  • Over time, the community began to dechristianise as younger generations adopted secular values. (To gradually lose Christian identity.)

Synonyms

• Secularise: to make something non-religious or separate from religious control.
• Desacralise: to remove sacred or religious significance from something.
• Depaganise: to remove pagan elements (opposite direction, but similar process).

Related Idioms

• "to turn the cross upside down": a symbolic act of dechristianisation, often used in art or protest.
  • The statue was vandalised to turn the cross upside down, a clear attempt to dechristianise the monument. (A symbolic removal of Christian meaning.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Strip away: to remove something completely (often used with Christian elements).
  • The new laws stripped away all Christian references from public ceremonies. (To remove Christian character thoroughly.)
• Root out: to eliminate something completely, especially an influence or practice.
  • The government tried to root out Christian teachings from schools. (To remove entirely.)

Notes on Usage

• The spelling "dechristianise" (with an 's') is primarily British English; the American English variant is "dechristianize" (with a 'z').
• This word is most often used in historical, political, or sociological contexts, especially regarding the French Revolution or secularisation movements.