Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Christendom

American  
[kris-uhn-duhm] / ˈkrɪs ən dəm /

noun

  1. Christians collectively.

  2. the Christian world.

  3. Christianity.


Christendom British  
/ ˈkrɪsəndəm /

noun

  1. the collective body of Christians throughout the world or throughout history

  2. an obsolete word for Christianity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Christendom

before 900; Middle English; Old English cristendōm. See Christian, -dom

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Christendom most accurately captures the spirit of the idea: organizing the world along medieval civilizational lines.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

He was first buried in crypts under St. Peter's Basilica and moved in 2011 to a chapel on the main level of the largest church in Christendom.

From Reuters • Dec. 30, 2022

Some of these programs have tiny reach — Christendom Curriculum had 100 subscribers as of September.

From Washington Post • Dec. 23, 2022

The hulking mass of the Hagia Sophia, the sixth-century church that became the enduring symbol of Christendom, seemed like a basilica to me again, surrounded by a copse of slim, tapered minarets.

From New York Times • May 12, 2022

The cathedral schools are for the wealthiest and most promising boys in Christendom.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz