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• Santería
  Santería

  noun

  a religion merging the worship of Yoruba deities with veneration of Roman Catholic saints: practiced in Cuba and spread to other parts of the Caribbean and to the United States by Cuban emigrés.
• Santeria
  Santeria

  noun

  a Caribbean religion composed of elements from both traditional African religion and Roman Catholicism

Santería

American  

[sahn-tuh-ree-uh] / ˌsɑn təˈri ə /

Or Santeria

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a religion merging the worship of Yoruba deities with veneration of Roman Catholic saints: practiced in Cuba and spread to other parts of the Caribbean and to the United States by Cuban emigrés.

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Santeria British  

/ ˌsæntəˈrɪə /

noun

1. a Caribbean religion composed of elements from both traditional African religion and Roman Catholicism

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Etymology

Origin of Santería

First recorded in 1980–85; from Latin American Spanish, equivalent to santer(o) “person practicing Santería” ( Spanish sant(o) saint + -ero, from Latin -ārius -ary ) + -ía -ia

Example Sentences

Commission on International Religious Freedom estimates 70% in Cuba practice some version of Santeria or similar African-based religions.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2023

Animal sacrifice is protected by a 30-year-old Supreme Court precedent, which upheld the right of practitioners of the Santeria faith to commit animal sacrifice.

From Washington Times • Jan. 12, 2023

“Let’s talk about Voodoo and Santeria and how they’ve been demonized through history and why they’ve been demonized,” she said.

From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2022

Growing up with grandparents who were from Cuba, who practiced Santeria, I think traditions and celebrations have always been interesting to me.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2022

His art draws on his Afro-Dominican American identity, as well as on a religious upbringing that incorporated Catholicism, Evangelical Christianity, Vodun, Santeria and Afro-Caribbean spiritual practices.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2022