anti-christ

A form of antichrist — One who works against the teachings of Christ.

Meanings

anti-christ1

nounanti-christ (plural anti-christs)

plural anti-christs

  1. alternativeAlternative form of antichrist.

Anti-Christ2

proper nounAnti-Christ or the Anti-Christ
  1. alternativeAlternative form of Antichrist.

    Fundamentalists fired volleys of Left Behind novels, in which Jesus returns to Earth to battle the Anti-Christ (whose day job was secretary general of the United Nations).

    2009 November 25, Nicholas D[onabet] Kristof, “The Religious Wars”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 May 2012
    2 more examples

    Fringe groups continue to publish hate literature, available in some L.A. religious bookstores. In May, anti-Catholic comic books were found on car windshields in Oceanside. Comics by Jack Chick Publications of Chino, Calif., say for example, that the Pope is the Anti-Christ.

    1991 September 9, Amy Kuebelbeck, “Under Fire? : Is anti-Catholic sentiment increasing? Some say yes and declare they’re not going to take it anymore.”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 Jan 2026

    Some knowledge is also required to appreciate the parodic final line of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens (1990), in which the Anti-Christ is seen “slouching hopefully towards Tadfield”.

    2020 May 30, Dorian Lynskey, “'Things fall apart': the apocalyptic appeal of WB Yeats's The Second Coming”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 May 2020

anti-Christ3

nounanti-Christ (plural anti-Christs)

plural anti-Christs

  1. alternativeAlternative form of antichrist.

    Feminist icon Kay Scarpetta battles against the anti-Christs.

    2009 January 12, John Crace, “How to live like a Tory leader”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2019
    2 more examples

    For his part, the 82-year-old Archbishop [Marcel] Lefebvre, who has been at odds with the church hierarchy for two decades, declared today that the Vatican is filled with "anti-Christs."

    1988 July 1, Steven Greenhouse, “Rebel Archbishop Anoints 4 Bishops”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 May 2015

    The prophet Nostradamus predicted the arrival of three anti-Christs who would wreak havoc on mankind.

    2009 September 9, Kathryn Shattuck, “What's On Today”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Nov 2018
proper nounanti-Christ or the anti-Christ
  1. alternativeAlternative form of Antichrist.

    Pope John Paul II said today a united Europe could be a beacon of civilization, but his speech was disrupted by the Rev. Ian Paisley shouting that the pontiff was the “anti-Christ.”

    1988 October 11, Reuters, “Papal Address Disrupted by [Ian] Paisley Tirade”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Aug 2019
    3 more examples

    All religions on the face of the earth boil down to these two—the worship of Christ or the worship of the anti-Christ. Any civilization that centres in itself—making itself divine—is the anti-Christ.

    1932 July 18, William H[enry] Dunphy, quotee, “Anti-Christian War Is Traced to Russia […

    "All I know," she said as if transfixed, "is that the winning number on the winning number on Nov. 4 was 666, Ronald Wilson in each of his names, the number 666 connotes the anti-Christ or the devil, and the planets were in an unusual configuration on the day he won."

    1980 November 15, Dorothy Gilliam, “A Superstitious View of [Ronald] Reagan’s Victory”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Aug 2017

    Consequently, moments of unintentional pathos, even comedy, arise - and perhaps something in our nature is revealed - as the future is constantly having to be rewritten, new anti-Christs, new Beasts, new Babylons, new Whores located, and the old appointments with doom and redemption quickly replaced by the next.

    2008 May 30, Ian McEwan, “The day of judgment”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 Sep 2015
Cite this entry
APA

anti-christ. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anti-christ

MLA

“anti-christ.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anti-christ. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anti-christ,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anti-christ.

Source: anti-christ on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.