What does "christendom" mean?
The Christian world; Christ's Church on Earth.
Christendom
/ˈkɹɪsn̩dəm/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The Christian world; Christ's Church on Earth.
- Grammar: christendom is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: academic concept, christian civilization, christian sphere, christian state.
- Useful contrasts: cosmopolitan Christianity, heathendom, nonreligious polity.
- Usage evidence: In the cities the quarters for the wealthier classes are not so sharply defined as with us, though the love for pleasant outlooks and beautiful scenery tends to enhance the value of certain districts, and consequently to bring together the wealthier classes. In nearly all the cities, however, you will find the houses of the wealthy in the immediate vicinity of the habitations of the poorest. In Tokio one may find streets, or narrow alleys, lined with a continuous row of the cheapest shelters; and here dwell the poorest people. Though squalid and dirty as such places appear to the Japanese, they are immaculate in comparison with the unutterable filth and misery of similar quarters in nearly all the great cities of Christendom. Certainly a rich man in Japan would not, as a general thing, buy up the land about his house to keep the poorer classes at a distance, for the reason that their presence would not be objectionable, since poverty in Japan is not associated with the impossible manners of a similar class at home.
How to use "christendom"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "christendom" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "christendom" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Check whether "christendom" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The Christian world; Christ's Church on Earth. countable, uncountable
"The Arian doctrine which then divided Christendom."
- 2 the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia) wordnet
- 3 The state of being a (devout) Christian; Christian belief or faith. archaic, countable, uncountable
"By my Chriſtendome, So I were out of priſon, and kept Sheepe, I ſhould be as merry as the day is long."
- 4 The name received at baptism; any name or appellation. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"[…]but for an Author to renounce his Chriſtendome to write in his owne commendation, to refuſe the name which his Godfathers and Godmothers gaue him in his baptiſme , and call himſelfe a wellwiller to both the writers[…]"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"In the cities the quarters for the wealthier classes are not so sharply defined as with us, though the love for pleasant outlooks and beautiful scenery tends to enhance the value of certain districts, and consequently to bring together the wealthier classes. In nearly all the cities, however, you will find the houses of the wealthy in the immediate vicinity of the habitations of the poorest. In Tokio one may find streets, or narrow alleys, lined with a continuous row of the cheapest shelters; and here dwell the poorest people. Though squalid and dirty as such places appear to the Japanese, they are immaculate in comparison with the unutterable filth and misery of similar quarters in nearly all the great cities of Christendom. Certainly a rich man in Japan would not, as a general thing, buy up the land about his house to keep the poorer classes at a distance, for the reason that their presence would not be objectionable, since poverty in Japan is not associated with the impossible manners of a similar class at home."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "christendom"?
Common synonyms include: academic concept, christian civilization, christian sphere, christian state, christian world, christianity.
How do you use "christendom" in a sentence?
In the cities the quarters for the wealthier classes are not so sharply defined as with us, though the love for pleasant outlooks and beautiful scenery tends to enhance the value of certain districts, and consequently to bring together the wealthier classes. In nearly all the cities, however, you will find the houses of the wealthy in the immediate vicinity of the habitations of the poorest. In Tokio one may find streets, or narrow alleys, lined with a continuous row of the cheapest shelters; and here dwell the poorest people. Though squalid and dirty as such places appear to the Japanese, they are immaculate in comparison with the unutterable filth and misery of similar quarters in nearly all the great cities of Christendom. Certainly a rich man in Japan would not, as a general thing, buy up the land about his house to keep the poorer classes at a distance, for the reason that their presence would not be objectionable, since poverty in Japan is not associated with the impossible manners of a similar class at home.
How do you pronounce "christendom"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹɪsn̩dəm/.
Etymology
From Middle English cristendom, cristendome, from Old English cristendōm, equivalent to Christen + -dom.