catechism
20
9.3
- noun
- /ˈkætɪˌkɪzəm/
- Formal
:
catecismo
- He studied the catechism diligently to prepare for his confirmation ceremony.
- catechism class
- Catholic catechism
- children's catechism
That's what the stuff on the cards reminded me of, the creepy stuff our catechism teacher would recite to us in tones both complacent and anxious.
- That's what the stuff on the cards reminded me of, the creepy stuff our catechism teacher would recite to us in tones both complacent and anxious.
Examples
-
But I needed no catechism to believe that God's story was my destiny.
Academic text (2000) -
I'll start off this discussion with a few paragraphs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Blog text (3) -
Some of you may have had this in some sort of catechism class or something like that.
-
I went to the brown paper bag and took out my catechism book.
Fiction book (2002) -
No, but he did give me a copy of the catechism.
-
What is the First Catechism?
-
Now we turn to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Academic text (2004) -
Yes, he needs to brush up on his catechism.
-
But then I remembered what this nun had told me in catechism.
-
From the children's catechism class, he formed prayer groups to pray and keep vigil over the sick children.
Academic text (1990)
Synonyms
3
5.3
A set of official religious beliefs that a Christian church teaches
Surface Forms
Morphology
catechism = catech + ism
Although the suffix '-ism' often signals a doctrine or system, the root 'catech' is not a productive or recognizable English base for most learners, so the specific meaning 'religious instruction in question-and-answer form' cannot be reliably derived from its parts.
Etymology
Catechism comes from the Greek word katecheo, which meant 'to teach aloud' or 'to instruct by word of mouth'. So a catechism is a short set of questions and answers used to teach the basic points of a faith.