Samaritan

noun

Sa·​mar·​i·​tan sə-ˈmer-ə-tən 

1

: a native or inhabitant of Samaria

2

[from the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30–37] : a person who is generous in helping those in distress

samaritan adjective often capitalized

Examples of Samaritan in a Sentence

A Samaritan called a tow truck for us.

Recent Examples on the Web

All 22 crew members of the Morning Midas evacuated from the ship onto a life boat and were subsequently rescued by the crew of Cosco Hellas, one of the Good Samaritan vessels, the Coast Guard added. —David Chiu, People.com, 25 June 2025

The crew of a Coast Guard Station Fort Lauderdale law enforcement boat and a good Samaritan evacuated all 14 people. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025

When the good Samaritan jumped into the fray, the first victim ran out of the subway car, prosecutors said. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025

The woman was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital and then Medflighted to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she was treated for her injuries. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin samaritanus, noun & adjective, from Greek samaritēs inhabitant of Samaria, from Samaria

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Samaritan

• Good Samaritan

Rhymes for Samaritan

• cytokeratin
• ferritin
• keratin