Rebaptize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To perform a second baptism on someone, often to reaffirm or change the original baptismal commitment
2. To administer baptism to an individual a second time, usually for religious or doctrinal reasons
3. To give a new or repeated baptismal rite to someone, often signifying renewal or conversion

Etymology: The core of "rebaptize" is a Greek verb. In ancient Greek, "báptō" meant to dip or immerse, usually into water or dye, and the derived "baptízō" meant to dip repeatedly or to immerse. Early Christian writers adopted it for the rite of plunging a convert into water, and it passed through Late Latin "baptizō" and Old French "baptiser" into Middle English as "baptisen." The English form "baptize" followed the same route. "Rebaptize" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning again, attached to "baptize." It is simply the Latin-derived prefix placed on a word that already existed in English, so the sense of the whole is "to baptize once more." Its literal sense of dipping again survives inside the Christian meaning, which has always centred on water.

Synonyms: rehonor, rechristen