Santa Claus

noun

San·​ta Claus ˈsan-tə-ˌklȯz 

also ˈsan-tē-

variants or Santa

ˈsan-tə 

: a plump, white-bearded, red-suited, and jolly old man in modern folklore who delivers presents to children at Christmastime

There might be a few weeks left until Christmas, but Santa Claus and his merry elves landed early in Bakersfield because several boys and girls on the nice list caught their attention.

—Ema Sasic

… we had dashed downstairs to the living room to see what Santa had brought and piled up, in great mounds of splendidly wrapped packages, under the Christmas tree—whose angel's halo brushed the ceiling.

—Anthony Bailey

Examples of Santa Claus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And Tom Hanks, a repository of good vibes, plays no less than five different roles (including Santa Claus). —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025

At the end of the ad, an AI Santa Claus is seen waving with a bottle of the soft drink in his right hand as the animals wave back and cheer. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025

Also featured are specials such as Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town and more. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025

Some locations are already booking photo opportunities with Santa Claus, which begin on November 21. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

modification of Dutch Sinterklaas, alteration of Sint Nikolaas Saint Nicholas

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Santa Claus

• chickasaws
• chippewas
• diapause
• menelaus
• menopause
• tropopause
• ahs
• baas
• cause
• clause
• claws
• coz