saint

1 of 2

noun

ˈsānt How to pronounce saint (audio)
 before a name  (ˌ)sānt,
 or  sənt
1
: one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness
abbreviation St.
2
a
: one of the spirits of the departed in heaven
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 noun
saintlike adjective

saint

2 of 2

verb

sainted; sainting; saints

transitive verb

: to recognize or designate as a saint
specifically : canonize

Examples of saint in a Sentence

Noun He was declared a saint in the fifth century. The salesperson was a saint for putting up with them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
For example, when the fifteenth-century saint Lydwine of Schiedam became gravely ill, she was said to have vomited out parts of her internal organs, which emitted holy scents. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 26 Nov. 2024 The saint depicted in the three-story, block-long mural could be Anthony, could be Gabriel. Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 24 Nov. 2024
Verb
Charismatic in life, she was sainted in death,’’ Goodyear wrote. Steven Litt, cleveland, 22 Feb. 2020 There are so many people to saint but first and foremost are the volunteer fire departments who responded to the fire. Sainted & Tainted Writers, Twin Cities, 13 July 2019 See all Example Sentences for saint 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saint was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near saint

Cite this Entry

“Saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saint. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

saint

1 of 2 noun
ˈsānt How to pronounce saint (audio)
 when a name follows  (ˌ)sānt,
 or  sənt
1
: a holy and godly person
especially : one who is declared to be worthy of special honor
2
: a person who is very good especially about helping others

saint

2 of 2 verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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