Santayana

American

[san-tee-an-uh, -ah-nuh, sahn-tah-yah-nah] / ˌsæn tiˈæn ə, -ˈɑ nə, ˌsɑn tɑˈyɑ nɑ /

noun

George, 1863–1952, Spanish philosopher and writer in the U.S.; in Europe after 1912.

Santayana British

/ ˌsæntɪˈænə /

noun

George. 1863–1952, US philosopher, poet, and critic, born in Spain. His works include The Life of Reason (1905–06) and The Realms of Being (1927–40)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was George Santayana who famously said that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

In the words of the philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2023

George Santayana famously wrote that "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," while Mark Twain supposedly said that history "rhymes."

From Salon • Aug. 15, 2021

Reworking the famous Santayana quote, they write, “Kerner establishes that it is possible for us to be entirely cognizant of history and repeat it anyway.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2021

Santayana is in a neighboring hotel, but we have missed each other thrice.

From The Letters of William James, Vol. II by James, William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023