saint

¹saint

noun \ˈsānt, before a name (ˌ)sānt or sənt\

Definition of SAINT

1

: one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness

2

a : one of the spirits of the departed in heaven

b : angel 1a

3

a : one of God's chosen and usually Christian people

b capitalized : a member of any of various Christian bodies; specifically : latter-day saint

4

: one eminent for piety or virtue

5

: an illustrious predecessor

— saint·dom \ˈsānt-dəm\ noun

— saint·like \ˈsānt-ˌlīk\ adjective

Examples of SAINT

1. He was declared a saint in the fifth century.
2. The salesperson was a saint for putting up with them.

Origin of SAINT

Middle English, from Anglo-French seint, saint, from Late Latin sanctus, from Latin, sacred, from past participle of sancire to make sacred — more at sacred

First Known Use: 13th century

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

Rhymes with SAINT

faint, feint, paint, plaint, quaint, taint

²saint

transitive verb \ˈsānt\

Definition of SAINT

: to recognize or designate as a saint; specifically : canonize

First Known Use of SAINT

13th century

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

saint

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Holy person. In the New Testament, St. Paul used the term to mean a member of the Christian community, but the term more commonly refers to those noted for their holiness and venerated during their lifetimes or after death. In Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, saints are publicly recognized by the church and are considered intercessors with God for the living. They are honoured on special feast days, and their remains and personal effects are venerated as relics. Often Christian saints perform miracles in their lifetime, or miracles occur in their names after their death. In Islam, wali (“friend of God”) is often translated as saint; in Buddhism, arhats and bodhisattvas are roughly equivalent to saints. Hindu sadhus are somewhat similar. See also canonization.