/seɪnt/, /sən(t)/, [sn̩(t)]
OriginFrom Middle English saint, seint, sainct, seinct, sanct, senct, partly from Old English sanct (“saint”) and confluence with Old French saint, seinte (Modern French saint); both from Latin sānctus (“holy, consecrated”, in Late Latin as a noun, “a saint”), past participle of sancīre (“to render sacred, make holy”), akin to sacer (“holy, sacred”). Doublet of Sanctus. Displaced native Middle English halwe (“saint”) from Old English hālga (“saint, holy one”) (> Modern English hallow (“saint”)).
- A deceased person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue.
“The Roman Catholic Church proclaimed Kateri Tekakwitha a saint in 2012.”
- One of the blessed in heaven.
“Then ſhall thy Saints unmixt, and from th' impure / Farr ſeparate, circling thy holy Mount / Unfained Halleluiahs to thee ſing,”
- A Christian; a faithful believer in the present world.
“Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, called to be Saints, with all that in euery place call vpon the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ”
- Mormonism, alt-of, specificallyAlternative letter-case form of Saint (“a Mormon, a Latter-day Saint”).
- broadly, figurativelyA person with similarly overwhelming positive qualities; one who does good.
“Dorothy Day was a living saint.”
“Thanks for looking after the house while I'm away. You're a saint!”
- archaicA holy object.
“It is ruine to a man to deuoure ſaintes, and afterward to retracte the vowes.”
- A title given to a saint, often prefixed to the person's name.
“Saint Stephen was the first martyr.”
- MormonismA Latter-day Saint, a Mormon.
“the Kirtland Saints”
“They settled in Kaw Township, a dozen miles from Independence, becoming the first Saints to be resettled in the newly designated Zion.”
“The project’s goal was to “fortify the faith of the Saints,” he said, “while at the same time paying attention to hard things.””
- Someone connected with any of the sports teams known as the Saints, such as a player or coach, or sometimes a fan.
“In 1971, during Archie Manning's first game as a New Orleans Saint and the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, […]”
“Former New Orleans Saint and current blues historian at Tulane University, Nick Travers becomes involved in a case related to the mysterious death […]”
“Their prayers were answered when future New Orleans Saint and Super Bowl champion Jabari Greer intercepted Croyle's pass. In the fourth overtime, ...”
- UKSaint class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR.
- transitiveSynonym of canonize: to honor, formally name, or revere as a saint.
“Many Catholics wished to see Pope John Paul II sainted immediately after his death.”
- morphemeCapitalized and placed before another term, particularly personal names, to create placename without direct association to any religious character.
- A surname.
- A nickname, given to someone of very good character.
- A nickname, given to someone of extreme religiosity.
Formssaints(plural) · St(alternative) · St.(alternative) · saints(present, singular, third-person) · sainting(participle, present) · sainted(participle, past) · sainted(past) · Saints(plural) · the Saint(canonical)