baptist
gb/bˈæptɪst/ us/bˈæptɪst/
B2
English
~ 7000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
member of Baptist church/denomination
A person who belongs to a Christian church called the Baptist church, which baptizes people when they are old enough to choose their faith.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a Baptist
Common mistake:
Learners often forget to capitalize 'Baptist' when it refers to the Christian group or its members. It should be written with a capital B in this sense. Some learners also confuse 'Baptist' (a specific denomination) with 'Christian' (the broader religion).
Synonyms
Protestant (Broader term; includes Baptists and many other non-Catholic Christian groups.)
|
evangelical (Overlapping but not identical; refers to a style of Protestant Christianity, of which many Baptists are a part.)
Antonyms
Catholic (Refers to the Roman Catholic Church, which differs in beliefs and practices from Baptist denominations.)
Collocations
Baptist church
|Baptist minister
|Southern Baptist
|Baptist tradition
|Baptist pastor
|Baptist congregation
Themes
religion
|christianity
|society
Examples
- She grew up as a Baptist in a small town in Georgia.
- The local Baptist church runs a food bank for the community.
- He converted from being a Catholic to becoming a Baptist in his twenties.
- Many Baptists emphasize personal faith and adult baptism.
- The conference brought together Baptist leaders from around the world.
Learner examples
- My grandparents are Baptists.
- They go to a Baptist church every Sunday.
- He was raised Baptist but later joined another church.
- The Baptist pastor spoke at the wedding.
- There are many Baptist churches in this city.
Noun
C1
entity
2
person who performs baptism
A person who carries out the Christian act of baptism, usually by putting someone in water as a religious sign.
Usage pattern:
[a baptist] baptizes [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners often assume that 'baptist' always means a member of the Baptist denomination. In some religious or historical texts, it can also mean any person who performs a baptism, regardless of denomination. This meaning is usually written with a lowercase 'b' unless it is part of a name like 'John the Baptist'.
Synonyms
baptizer (Direct equivalent in meaning; slightly more technical and less common in everyday speech.)
|
officiant (Broader; can perform many types of religious ceremonies, not only baptism.)
Collocations
the baptist in the ceremony
|the baptist immersed the candidate
|early church baptist
|baptist and the baptized
Themes
religion
|christianity
|history
Examples
- In the early church, the baptist was often a traveling missionary who taught and baptized new believers.
- The baptist carefully lowered the child into the water during the ceremony.
- Historical records mention the name of the baptist but not the person who was baptized.
- The role of the baptist was usually taken by the local elder.
- A second baptist stood nearby to assist with the immersion.
Learner examples
- The baptist put the man under the water.
- In this story, the baptist is a young pastor.
- The baptist and the person being baptized stood in the river.
- A baptist must say special words in the ceremony.
- The church chose a new baptist for the service.
Grammar
Dictionary form
baptist
IPA
GB/bˈæptɪst/
US/bˈæptɪst/
Syllables & stress
baptist (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (baptist)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: baptist
- Plural: baptists
Word family
Expressions
Baptist church
2/bˈæptɪst t͡ʃˈɚt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
local Baptist congregation or building
A Christian church that follows Baptist beliefs, or the building where this group meets.
Examples
- They were married in a small Baptist church outside the city.
- The Baptist church on Main Street runs a free medical clinic every month.
- She volunteers with the youth group at her local Baptist church.
Baptist minister
5/bˈæptɪst mˈɪnɪstɚ/
fixed phrase
pastor in a Baptist church
A religious leader who works as the main pastor or one of the pastors in a Baptist church.
Examples
- The Baptist minister visited the hospital every afternoon.
- She is training to become a Baptist minister after finishing seminary.
Baptist pastor
3/bˈæptɪst pˈæstɚ/
fixed phrase
pastor serving Baptist congregation
A Christian pastor who leads a Baptist church.
Examples
- The Baptist pastor gave a short, simple sermon.
- As a Baptist pastor, she spends a lot of time counseling families.
John the Baptist
1/d͡ʒˈɑn ðə bˈæptɪst/
fixed phrase
biblical figure who baptized Jesus
A famous person in the Bible who preached to people and baptized them, and who baptized Jesus.
Examples
- The painting shows John the Baptist standing in the river Jordan.
- Children in the class learned the story of John the Baptist.
Southern Baptist
4/sˈʌðɚn bˈæptɪst/
fixed phrase
member of Southern Baptist Convention
A person or church that is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, a large Baptist group mainly in the United States.
Examples
- He grew up in a Southern Baptist family in Texas.
- The town has one Catholic church and several Southern Baptist churches.