saint
[ seynt ]
/ seɪnt /
noun
any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization.
a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.
a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization.
(in certain religious groups) a designation applied by the members to themselves.
verb (used with object)
to enroll formally among the saints recognized by the Church.
to give the name of saint to; reckon as a saint.
Origin of saint
before 1000; Middle English (noun and v.) < Old French (noun) < Latin
sānctus sacred, adj. use of past participle of
sancīre to consecrate, equivalent to
sanc- (akin to
sacer
sacred) +
-tus past participle suffix; replacing Old English
sanct < Latin, as above
OTHER WORDS FROM saint
saint·less, adjective out·saint, verb (used with object) su·per·saint, nounWords nearby saint
Definition for saint (2 of 3)
Saint
For entries beginning with this word, see also St., Ste.
Definition for saint (3 of 3)
Example sentences from the Web for saint
British Dictionary definitions for saint (1 of 2)
saint
/ (seɪnt, unstressed sənt) /
noun
a person who after death is formally recognized by a Christian Church, esp the Roman Catholic Church, as having attained, through holy deeds or behaviour, a specially exalted place in heaven and the right to veneration
a person of exceptional holiness or goodness
(plural) Bible
the collective body of those who are righteous in God's sight
verb
(tr)
to canonize; recognize formally as a saint
Derived forms of saint
saintdom, noun saintless, adjective saintlike, adjectiveWord Origin for saint
C12: from Old French, from Latin
sanctus holy, from
sancīre to hallow
British Dictionary definitions for saint (2 of 2)
st.
abbreviation for
stanza
statute
cricket
stumped by
Cultural definitions for saint
saint
In Christianity, a holy person, living or dead; a person who has been saved (see salvation) (see also salvation). Saint is the French word for “holy.” Many churches reserve the title of saint for persons who have died faithful to their Christian commitment. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church require certain procedures before people can be officially named saints; this procedure is called canonization.