catechism
noun
cat·e·chismˈka-tə-ˌki-zəm 
1
:oral instruction
2
:a manual for catechizing (seecatechizesense 1)
specifically:a summary of religious doctrine often in the form of questions and answers
3
a
:a set of formal questions put as a test
b
:something resembling a catechism especially in being a rote response or formulaic statement
The cook often consulted the latest nutritionalcatechism for advice.
Examples ofcatechism in a Sentence
They went to school to learn theircatechism. He taughtcatechism at Sunday school.
Recent Examples on the WebJiménez became involved with the Young Lords, a street gang founded by Orlando Davila, who had met Jiménez at acatechism class that Jiménez's mother taught, according to his biography.—
Adam Harrington,CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025For years, climate alarmism has reigned as politicalcatechism: The planet is burning, and only drastic action—deindustrialization, draconian regulation, even ceasing childbearing—could forestall certain apocalypse.—Josh Hammer,MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, andcatechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.—Simon Akam,New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025The opposition’s mainstream leaders still mouth thecatechismthat change should come by Venezuelan hands, but more are openly courting external pressure to tilt the balance.—Robert Muggah,The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025See All Example Sentences forcatechism
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.
Adam Harrington,CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025For years, climate alarmism has reigned as politicalcatechism: The planet is burning, and only drastic action—deindustrialization, draconian regulation, even ceasing childbearing—could forestall certain apocalypse.—Josh Hammer,MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, andcatechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.—Simon Akam,New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025The opposition’s mainstream leaders still mouth thecatechismthat change should come by Venezuelan hands, but more are openly courting external pressure to tilt the balance.—Robert Muggah,The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025See All Example Sentences forcatechismWord History
Etymology
seecatechesis
First Known Use
1502, in the meaning defined atsense 1
Rhymes forcatechism
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Catechism.”Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catechism. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catechism
nouncat·e·chismˈkat-ə-ˌkiz-əm
1
:a summary of religious doctrine in the form of questions and answers
2
:a set of questions requiring memorized answers put as a test
More from Merriam-Webster oncatechism
Thesaurus:All synonyms and antonyms forcatechism
Nglish:Translation ofcatechism for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com:Encyclopedia article aboutcatechism
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