catechism Hear it!

catechism Definition

cat·echism (kat′ə kiz′əm)

noun

  1. a handbook of questions and answers for teaching the principles of a religion
  2. any similar handbook for teaching the fundamentals of a subject
  3. a formal series of questions; close questioning
  4. Obsolete catechesis

Etymology: LL(Ec) catechismus < Gr katēchismos < katēchizein, to catechize < katēchein: see catechetical

catechism Related Forms

cat′·echis′·mal adjective cat′·echis′·tic (-kis′tik) adjective or cat′·echis′·ti·cal

catechism Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • teach: They are taught the Catechism, and are directed to attend Divine Service.
  • learn: Build a round house where the children can meet to learn catechism.
  • read: Nothing that is said here by us is intended to substitute for reading the Catechism.
  • publish: The Mystery of Freemasonry, a spurious catechism published on 15 August in the Daily Journal referred to two degrees.
  • know: In six running columns spread out over each two-page opening, Green provides the basic information concerning all the catechisms known to him.
  • call: In the lower classes I studied from a book written in Panjabi which was called a catechism.

Adjective modifier

  • short: Reads very badly but answers fairly the questions in the short catechism: otherwise very ignorant.
  • new: The Blessed Trinity would also be the central theme of the new Catechism which was to come later.
  • Catholic: The wonderful dogma created by divine instruction has not deserted us, for it remains in the Catholic catechism.
  • large: Series of articles in the Echo, possibly lives of local M.P.s and possibly larger Political Catechism.
  • small: The most fundamental of these are the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Small Catechism.
  • early: The first question we had memorized from our early catechism had been Why were you created?

Modifies a noun

class: All children above the age of five were enrolled in special catechism classes.

Noun used with modifier

  • church: Children to be taken in between the age of 8 and 11 and be taught to read the church catechism morning and evening.
  • penny: John Elliott, this simple catechism, in question and answer format, is a modern alternative to the ever popular penny catechism.

Possessives

child: One children's catechism puts it like this, asking the question: ' What is prayer?

Preposition: of

  • reformation: The catechisms of the Reformation used this prayer to teach people how to pray.
  • church: He helped to draft a new catechism of the church to instruct parish clergy.

Preposition: for