catechism

English

Alternative forms

• categise (eye dialect, archaic, rare)

Etymology

From Late Latin catechismus, from Ancient Greek *κατηχισμός (*katēkhismós), from κατηχίζω (katēkhízō, “to catechize”), a later extended form of κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “to catechize, instruct, teach by word of mouth”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχέω (ēkhéō, “to sound, resound”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkætɪˌkɪzəm/

Noun

catechism (plural catechisms)

1. A book, in question and answer form, summarizing the basic principles of Christianity.
2. A basic manual in some subject.
3. A set of questions designed to determine knowledge.
   • 1925, Countee Cullen, Yet Do I Marvel

     Inscrutable His ways are, and immune

     To catechism by a mind too strewn

     With petty cares to slightly understand

     What awful brain compels His awful hand.

Related terms

• catechesis
• catechist
• catechistic
• catechize
• catechumen

 

Translations

book summarizing the principles of Christianity

• Asturian: catecismu m
• Catalan: catecisme m
• Chichewa: katekisima
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 教義問答／教义问答, 教义问答 (jiàoyì wèndá)

• Czech: katechismus m, katechizmus m
• Danish: katekismus n
• Esperanto: katekismo
• Finnish: katekismus (fi)
• French: catéchisme (fr) m
• Galician: catecismo (gl) m
• German: Katechismus (de) m
• Greek: κατήχηση (el) f (katíchisi)
• Hungarian: katekizmus (hu)
• Italian: catechismo (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: カテキズム (katekizumu), 公教要理 (こうきょうようり, kōkyō yōri)
• Maori: katikīhama
• Norman: caticème m (Jersey)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: katekisme m or f

  Nynorsk: katekisme f

• Polish: katechizm (pl) m
• Portuguese: catecismo (pt) m
• Romanian: catehism (ro) n
• Russian: катехи́зис (ru) m (katexízis)
• Scottish Gaelic: leabhar-cheist m
• Spanish: catecismo (es) m
• Swahili: katekisimu (sw)
• Swedish: katekes (sv) c

set of questions

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 問答集／问答集 (wèndájí), 问答集 (wèndájí)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: κατήχηση (el) f (katíchisi)

Further reading

• “catechism”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “catechism”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• schematic