baptism

noun

ˈbap-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce baptism (audio)
Definition of baptismnext
as in inauguration
the process or an instance of being formally placed in an office or organization the baptism of the new members of the college fraternity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of baptism Air Born The couple celebrated Westlyn’s Easter baptism with a euphoric photo of Boyd lifting their baby into the air. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 That’s not to mention the events like graduations and baptisms that have been hosted at the convention center, too. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026 In 1980, there were 513,000 baptisms in France; in 2024, a total of 186,000. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 Skip and his wife operate the family-run business with help from employees, some new every year, who train during the secret soft opening days before their baptism by ice at the start of the season. — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for baptism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baptism
  1. inauguration
  2. inaugural
  3. initiation
Noun
  • Expand One week before his inauguration as the new mayor of Arlington Heights, Jim Tinaglia walked through the downtown streets he’s called home for more than 50 years.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The administrative notices were sent out just a couple of weeks after the inauguration and included the team in charge of dispelling disinformation.
    — Andy Mannix, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of inauguration
Noun
  • Stone Mountain artist Angela Lanell looked forward to selling her work at the inaugural The Other Art Fair in Atlanta this week for several reasons.
    — Jewel Wicker, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Van Dijk and her fellow travelers even brought their own swag to give out and said inaugurals feel like a bonding experience for everyone on the flight.
    — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Definition of inaugural
Noun
  • This includes threats to withdraw federal funding and initiation of new investigations against campuses that do not comply with the federal government’s agenda on topics like antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Seoul has demanded an apology and the initiation of dialogue with Pyongyang to prevent further escalation.
    — Anna Coren, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of initiation

Phrases Containing baptism

Browse Nearby Words

bantlings
baptism
baptismal name
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Baptism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baptism. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on baptism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about baptism

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All