CATECHISM

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does catechism mean? 

• CATECHISM (noun)
  The noun CATECHISM has 2 senses:

1. a series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views

2. an elementary book summarizing the principles of a Christian religion; written as questions and answers

  Familiarity information: CATECHISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CATECHISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("catechism" is a kind of...):

examination; interrogation; interrogatory (formal systematic questioning)

Domain category:

government; political science; politics (the study of government of states and other political units)

Derivation:

catechise; catechize (examine through questioning and answering)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An elementary book summarizing the principles of a Christian religion; written as questions and answers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("catechism" is a kind of...):

book (a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together))

Derivation:

catechise (give religious instructions to)

catechismal (of or relating to a catechism summarizing the principles of Christianity)

catechist (one who instructs catechumens in preparation for baptism (especially one using a catechism))

catechistic (of or relating to or resembling a rigorous catechism)

catechize (give religious instructions to)

 Context examples 

And I was a civil, pious boy, and could rattle off my catechism that fast, as you couldn't tell one word from another.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He handed me the very paper which I have here, Watson, and this is the strange catechism to which each Musgrave had to submit when he came to man’s estate.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Who gave him that name, then?” said I, putting question number two of the catechism to Mr. Peggotty.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Ham Peggotty, who went to the national school, and was a very dragon at his catechism, and who may therefore be regarded as a credible witness, reported next day, that happening to peep in at the parlour-door an hour after this, he was instantly descried by Miss Betsey, then walking to and fro in a state of agitation, and pounced upon before he could make his escape.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)