- to teach or examine by means of questions and answers
- to give oral instruction in Christianity, esp by using a catechism
- to put questions to (someone)
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cat•e•chize
(kat′i kīz′),USA pronunciation v.t., -chized, -chiz•ing.
cat′e•chiz′a•ble, adj.
cat′e•chi•za′tion, n.
cat′e•chiz′er, n.
- Religionto instruct orally by means of questions and answers, esp. in Christian doctrine.
- Religionto question with reference to belief.
- Religionto question closely.
- Greek katēchízein to make (someone) learn by teaching orally, equivalent. to katēch(eîn) to teach orally (see catechist) + -izein -ize
- Late Latin catēchizāre
- late Middle English 1375–1425
cat′e•chi•za′tion, n.
cat′e•chiz′er, n.
- 3. interrogate, quiz, examine, probe.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
catechize, catechise /ˈkætɪˌkaɪz/ vb (transitive)
'catechize' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):