Santa Claus

noun

San·​ta Claus ˈsan-tə-ˌklȯz How to pronounce Santa Claus (audio)
 also  ˈsan-tē-
variants or Santa
: 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 The thread also featured photos of Kelly posing with Marion while on a hike and the children spending time with Santa Claus in December 2023. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The Legend Parking Lot will offer a free viewing area for eclipse watchers, as the town of Santa Claus, Ind., will host a variety of events. Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 In December, the mom of two shared a photo of her family of four sitting with Santa Claus on her Instagram. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 The two men became close, which drove the relationship between the two agencies, and the Ukrainians gave the new station chief an affectionate nickname: Santa Claus. Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 German Lutherans used an Easter hare for the Easter season, similar to Santa Claus' role during Christmas. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 Affable and quick-witted, Hendricks was among the Orioles’ most prolific ambassadors, signing autographs, hosting baseball camps and portraying Santa Claus at the team’s Christmas parties. Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 As a hard-drinking, oft-puking, ass-kicking Santa Claus, David Harbour is tasked with rescuing an insufferable family from a terrorist (John Leguizamo) who wants all of their money. EW.com, 31 Jan. 2024 The Santa Claus rally seems to be happening anyway. Hardika Singh, WSJ, 29 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Santa Claus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

modification of Dutch Sinterklaas, alteration of Sint Nikolaas Saint Nicholas

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Santa Claus was in 1773

Dictionary Entries Near Santa Claus

Cite this Entry

“Santa Claus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Santa%20Claus. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Santa Claus

noun
San·​ta Claus ˈsant-ē-ˌklȯz How to pronounce Santa Claus (audio)
ˈsant-ə-
: the spirit of Christmas represented by a fat jolly old man in a red suit who gives toys to children
Etymology

from Dutch Sinterklaas, an altered form of Dutch Sint Nikolaas "Saint Nicholas"

More from Merriam-Webster on Santa Claus

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