catechism
American Heritage Dictionary:
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cat·e·chism
(kăt'ĭ-kĭz'əm) 
n.
n.
- A book giving a brief summary of the basic principles of Christianity in question-and-answer form.
- A manual giving basic instruction in a subject, usually by rote or repetition.
- A body of fundamental principles or beliefs, especially when accepted uncritically: "the core of the catechism of the antinuclear left, the notion that the threat to peace is technological, not political" (George F. Will).
- A close questioning or examination, as of a political figure.
[French catechisme, from Old French, from Late Latin catēchismus, from Late Greek katēkhismos, from katēkhizein, to teach by word of mouth. See catechize.]
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catechism
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
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catechism
Manual of religious instruction usually arranged in the form of questions and answers and used to instruct the young, win converts, and testify to the faith. The medieval catechism concentrated on the meaning of faith, hope, and charity. Later catechisms added other subjects and became more important following the Reformation and the invention of the printing press. Martin Luther's Small Catechism (1529) added discussions of baptism and the Eucharist. John Calvin published a children's catechism in 1542. The Anglican catechism is included in the Book of Common Prayer. The Baltimore Catechism (1885) is the Catholic catechism best known in the U.S. In 1992 the Vatican issued a new universal Catechism of the Catholic Church.
For more information on catechism, visit Britannica.com.
Roget's Thesaurus:
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catechism
noun
- A set of questions or exercises designed to determine knowledge or skill: catechization, exam, examination, quiz, test. See investigate.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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catechism
catechism (kăt'əkĭzəm) [Gr.,=oral instruction], originally oral instruction in religion, later written instruction. Catechisms are usually written in the form of questions and answers. Almost as old as Christianity, they were used especially for the instruction of converts and children. Catechisms were popular in the later Middle Ages and assumed even greater significance in the Reformation through Martin Luther's emphasis on the religious education of children. His Small Catechism (1529) is still the standard book of the Lutheran church. The greatest Calvinist catechism was the Heidelberg Catechism (1563). It was revised at Dort (1619) and was used in Dutch and German Reformed churches; other catechisms are the Longer and Shorter Catechisms of 1647 and 1648, drawn up to supplement the Westminster Confession; they are used in Presbyterian churches. The catechism for the Anglican Communion is included in the Book of Common Prayer.
A catechism long in use in the Roman Catholic church was that prepared by the Jesuit Peter Canisius, which appeared in 1555. The catechism of the Council of Trent, a document of high authority issued in 1566, was essentially a manual of instruction for use by the clergy in combating the Protestant Reformation; nonetheless it remained influential for over four centuries. The best-known Catholic catechism in England for many years was the Penny Catechism, adopted by the bishops of England and Wales; that in the United States was the Baltimore Catechism. The first new universal catechism of the Catholic church since that of the Council of Trent was released in French in 1992 and in English in 1994. The book forgoes the traditional question-and-answer format, instead providing a compendium of Roman Catholic teaching and belief. A summary of the catechism that employs a question-and-answer formate was released in 2005.
Word Tutor:
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catechism
IN BRIEF: n. - An elementary book summarizing the principles of a Christian religion; A series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views.
Tutor's tip: The "cataclysm" (major disaster or war) resulted in a "cataclasm" (disruption) of the "catechism" (instruction in Christian beliefs given in a question-and-answer format) classes.
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Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'catechism'
- Christianity - catechism: formal religious instruction in form of questions and answers
- Practice and Doctrine - catechism: elementary guidebook for Christian religious instruction
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
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Catechism
Dansk (Danish)
n. - katekismus, udspørgen
Nederlands (Dutch)
catechismus, ondervraging
Français (French)
n. - catéchisme
Deutsch (German)
n. - Katechismus, (Frage u. Antwort-Lehrbuch)
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κατήχηση
Português (Portuguese)
n. - catecismo (m) (Rel.)
Español (Spanish)
n. - catecismo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - katekes
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
教义问答书, 问答集
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 教義問答書, 問答集
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 教理問答, 教理問答書
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) تعليم الديانه المسيحيه بطريقه الأستجواب
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - קטכיזם, עקרונות של דת המוצגים בשאלות ותשובות, סדרה של שאלות לאדם אחד
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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Mentioned in
St. John's Catechism
(1990 Spirituality & Philosophy Film)
D.J. Joins Up
(1982 Spirituality & Philosophy Film)
Ainsarii
(parapsychology)
» More