catechism
noun
cat·e·chism
ˈka-tə-ˌki-zəm 
1
: oral instruction
2
: a manual for catechizing (see catechize sense 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 nutritional catechism for advice.
Examples of catechism in a Sentence
They went to school to learn their catechism.
He taught catechism at Sunday school.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 1970s, in a devoutly Catholic Spain still ruled by dictator Francisco Franco, Paula Alonso-Pimentel was sent for catechism at age 8 to a religious school in the northern city of Valladolid.
—
ABC News, 4 June 2026
The man rattles off contract terms as a priest recalls the catechism.
—Charlie Lee, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2026
Cabrini arrived in New York City in 1889, and organized catechism and education for Italian immigrants while providing for the needs of numerous orphans, according to her missionary order.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
For years, climate alarmism has reigned as political catechism: The planet is burning, and only drastic action—deindustrialization, draconian regulation, even ceasing childbearing—could forestall certain apocalypse.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catechism
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ABC News, 4 June 2026
The man rattles off contract terms as a priest recalls the catechism.
—Charlie Lee, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2026
Cabrini arrived in New York City in 1889, and organized catechism and education for Italian immigrants while providing for the needs of numerous orphans, according to her missionary order.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
For years, climate alarmism has reigned as political catechism: The planet is burning, and only drastic action—deindustrialization, draconian regulation, even ceasing childbearing—could forestall certain apocalypse.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catechism
Cite this Entry
“Catechism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catechism. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catechism
noun
cat·e·chism
ˈkat-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
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