christianity (uncountable)

1. Obsolete form of Christianity
   • 1768 [1657], Jeremy Taylor, Sacred Prolusions: or, Select Pieces from Bishop Taylor and Mr. Herbert:

     I must tell you that christianity hath new christened it

   • 1791, Joseph Priestley, Letters to Burke, section VI:

     That wealth and splendour have not the charms that you ascribe to them with the bulk of mankind, is evident even from the history of Monachism, one of the corruptions of christianity.

   • 1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D[ennis] Lawler, “[Book X. Holy week.] Chap[ter] IV.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. […], volume III, London: […] Corri, […]; and sold by Colburn, […], and Mackenzie, […], →OCLC ↗, page 48 ↗:

     Corinna followed the procession, which repaired to the temple of St. Peter, which was then lighted only by an illuminated cross. This sign of grief, alone and shining in the august obscurity of this immense edifice, is the most beautiful image of christianity in the midst of sublunary darkness.

From Middle English Cristiente, Cristente, borrowed from Old French crestienté, from Medieval Latin - stem of Chrīstiānitās, from Latin christianus, Christianus, from Ancient Greek Χριστιανός, from Χριστός ("Christ, anointed one") + Latin -anus ("suffix for of, related to") + one more suffix borrowed from Latin "ity" makes the final Christian + -ity.

• (RP) IPA: /ˌkɹɪstiˈænɪti/
• (America) IPA: /ˌkɹɪst͡ʃiˈænɪti/

1. An Abrahamic religion originating from the community of the followers of Jesus Christ.
   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 4, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC ↗:

     By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.

2. (Hong Kong) Protestantism.

• Christianism (uncommon)

• French: christianisme, chrétienté
• German: Christentum
• Italian: Cristianità, Cristianesimo
• Portuguese: cristianismo
• Russian: христиа́нство
• Spanish: cristianismo

1. Christendom, the Christian world