Meaning & use
baptistery
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A building or part of a church where a person is baptized with water.
Grammar: Countable: one baptistery, two baptisteries.
Patterns
- a baptistery in a church
- the baptistery of a cathedral
The old baptistery next to the cathedral is famous for its golden ceiling.
Visitors are not allowed to touch the water in the baptistery.
She was baptized in the small baptistery behind the main altar.
nouncountabletechnical
A large stone basin that holds the water used for baptism.
Grammar: Countable: the basin itself, not the room.
Patterns
- a stone baptistery
- fill the baptistery with water
The priest filled the baptistery with fresh water before the Sunday service.
The ancient baptistery is carved from a single block of marble.
A cover protects the baptistery when it is not in use.
Word forms
| plural | baptisteries |
|---|
Common combinations
- ancient baptistery
- The ancient baptistery dates back to the fifth century.
- octagonal baptistery
- The octagonal baptistery stands separate from the church.
- the baptistery of the cathedral
- We admired the mosaics in the baptistery of the cathedral.
- be baptized in the baptistery
- Their baby was baptized in the baptistery last spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: baptistery or baptism?
baptistery vs baptism
Baptism is the ceremony itself; a baptistery is the place or the basin used for it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'baptistery' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A baptistery is a place or basin for baptism, so it can be decorated and located in a cathedral. The other options treat it as an event or an object people receive or wear, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baptistery”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.