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The era in use in all Christian countries, which was intended to commence with the birth of Christ. The era as now established was first used by Dionysius Exiguus (died about 540), who placed the birth of Christ on the 25th of December in the year of Rome 754, which year he counted as 1 a. d. This date for Christ's bir…

In the year of the Christian era; as, a. d. 1887.

Commission. See under Commission. -- Christian court. Same as Ecclesiastical court. -- Christian era, the present era, commencing with the birth of Christ. It is supposed that owing to an error of a monk (Dionysius Exiguus, d. about 556) employed to calculate the era, its commencement was fixed three or four years t…

; as, the epoch of the creation; the birth of Christ was the epoch which gave rise to the Christian era. In divers ages, . . . divers epochs of time were used. Usher. Great epochs and crises in the kingdom of God. Trench. The acquittal of the bishops was not the only event which makes the 30th of June, 1688, a great ep…

ars dating from some important event; as, the era of Alexander; the era of Christ, or the Christian era (see under Christian). The first century of our era. M. Arnold.

ncient Teutonic race, who dwelt between the Elbe and the Vistula in the early part of the Christian era, and who overran and took an important part in subverting the Roman empire.

lished; rude; as, savage life; savage manners. What nation, since the commencement of the Christian era, ever rose from savage to civilized without Christianity E. D. Griffin.

ire year might be secured beyond all question. Abbott. -- Year of grace, any year of the Christian era; Anno Domini; A. D. or a. d.