christian democrat: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, political
Quick answer
What does “christian democrat” mean?
A member or supporter of a political party that combines Christian values with democratic principles, typically advocating for social market economy, social justice, and traditional values.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A member or supporter of a political party that combines Christian values with democratic principles, typically advocating for social market economy, social justice, and traditional values.
A political ideology or movement that seeks to apply Christian ethics to public policy, often positioned between socialism and classical liberalism, emphasizing human dignity, subsidiarity, and solidarity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the term is primarily used in discussions of European politics; in American English, it's less common due to different political traditions and may be misunderstood as referring to religious Democrats.
Connotations
UK: Associated with European political families like the EPP; US: Often unfamiliar or confused with evangelical Christian voters within the Democratic Party.
Frequency
Much more frequent in UK/international political discourse; rare in mainstream US political vocabulary except in academic/comparative politics contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “christian democrat” in a Sentence
[Christian Democrat] + [political party][member] + [of the Christian Democrats][vote] + [for Christian Democrats]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “christian democrat” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The Christian Democrat candidate won the election.
American English
- Christian Democrat policies were debated at the summit.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; might appear in political risk analysis or EU policy discussions.
Academic
Common in political science, European studies, comparative politics.
Everyday
Uncommon except in countries with strong Christian Democratic parties.
Technical
Used in political journalism, EU institutions, party politics analysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “christian democrat”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “christian democrat”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “christian democrat”
- Writing 'christian democrat' in lowercase when referring to specific parties
- Using as a verb ('to Christian Democrat')
- Confusing with 'Christian Democratic Union' (specific German party).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'Christian Democrat' refers to a person or party member, while 'Christian Democratic' is the adjective form describing the ideology or party.
Generally centre-right, but they differ from traditional conservatives by emphasizing social justice and welfare state within a market economy.
No, the US political system doesn't have equivalent Christian Democrat parties; Christian values in politics are expressed through different channels.
Christian Democrats emphasize Christian ethics and tradition, while Social Democrats focus on social equality and workers' rights from a secular perspective.
A member or supporter of a political party that combines Christian values with democratic principles, typically advocating for social market economy, social justice, and traditional values.
Christian democrat is usually formal, political in register.
Christian democrat: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkrɪstʃən ˈdeməkræt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkrɪstʃən ˈdeməkræt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the Christian Democrat family”
- “Christian Democrat heartland”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Christian values + Democratic system = Christian Democrat' – combines faith-based ethics with democratic governance.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS IS A FAMILY (Christian Democrat family), POLITICAL POSITION IS A SPECTRUM (centre-right position).
Practice
Quiz
In which region is the term 'Christian Democrat' most commonly used?