saint

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

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

—

saintdom

play \ˈsānt-dəm\ noun

—

saintlike

play \ˈsānt-ˌlīk\ adjective

See saint defined for English-language learners

See saint defined for kids

Examples of saint in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of saint from the Web

At the same time, Mother Teresa died – someone who was a saint, ministered to the homeless, and the poorest in the world.

— chuck dauphin, Billboard, "Pat Boone Reflects on Billy Graham, Talks Heading to Israel to Celebrate Its 70th Anniversary," 4 Apr. 2018
The television networks wanted saints, not people who might react in self-defense to the brutalization of their friends and families.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "When the Revolution Was Televised," 1 Apr. 2018
Pentagrams decorate homes in which Catholic saints are revered, and church-goers place faith in local sorcerers for problems no priest or doctor can solve.

— megan spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "In Catemaco, Mexico's 'Land of the Sorcerers'," 29 Mar. 2018
Angela Tarango, an assistant professor of religion at Trinity University who teaches a class on Latino religious traditions, said Santería believers pray both to Catholic saints and African spirits, and their rituals are not demonic.

— elaine ayala, San Antonio Express-News, "S.A. animal sacrifice was Santería practice, but was it illegal?," 22 Mar. 2018
The supporting characters include a pair of head-banging nuns and a trio of levitating saints; these playful details alleviate the heavy theological discourse, which is open-ended and provocative nonetheless.

— Chicago Reader, "More than 60 new features premiere locally at the European Union Film Festival," 7 Mar. 2018
The Roman Martyrology, the official record of Catholic saints, lists several that were named Valentine, two of whom were martyred on February 14, but there are no existing contemporary records of these events.

— jeff suess, Cincinnati.com, "The origin of Valentine's Day isn't what you think," 14 Feb. 2018
Its adherents might squabble, but their differences lead them back, eventually, to a mutual inheritance: the words of Jesus in the Gospels, the lives of the saints, the rhythms of the liturgy, the catechism of the Church.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Will Pope Francis Cause a Schism in the Catholic Church?," 7 Sep. 2015
At age 93, iconic Sacramento priest Monsignor Edward Kavanagh had only one desire left: to leave the corporeal world on St. Patrick’s Day and spend it instead with his favorite saint above.

— anita chabria, sacbee, "‘He was not timid’: Longtime Sacramento priest loved his parishioners, native Ireland | The Sacramento Bee," 17 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Christian Religious Terms

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

saint

verb \ ˈsānt \

transitive verb

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

Recent Examples of saint from the Web

In 2000, Nicholas, his wife, and children were sainted by the Russian Orthodox church.

— nancy bilyeau, Town & Country, "Will the Real Anastasia Romanov Please Stand Up?," 25 Apr. 2017
Feed My Starving Children is to be sainted for its work — people working to feed people.

— sainted & tainted writers, Twin Cities, "Sainted: Christian, Muslim, Jewish … people working to feed people," 17 June 2017
MOUNT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY, Los Angeles Jocelin Mata, Santa Ana High School Major: nursing, $ Why this school?

— heide janssen, Orange County Register, "Where are 2017 Orange County dance students going to college?," 15 June 2017
The average number of carries in a season for a lead Saints back is roughly half (175) the total Peterson was used to getting in Minnesota.

— jeff duncan, NOLA.com, "1,500 yards? 10 TDs? Adrian Peterson's 'incentives' are a joke," 19 May 2017

First Known Use of saint

13th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Christian Religious Terms

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

SAINT Defined for English Language Learners

saint

noun

: a person who is officially recognized by the Christian church as being very holy because of the way he or she lived
: a person who is very good, kind, or patient