Father Christmas

American

noun

British.

Santa Claus.

Father Christmas British

noun

another name for Santa Claus

"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

Etymology

Origin of Father Christmas

First recorded in 1650–60

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.

In recent weeks, the couple have taken Bertie to see Father Christmas, although Mrs Melly said he was "more interested in all the decorations".

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

Further requirements for the Father Christmas role generally include infinite patience, an ability to improvise, and tolerance for repetition.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

A Father Christmas figure is pictured looking pained in the water at the foot of a rock.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

It's not every day that Father Christmas finds himself briefing his elves about the hazards of sunstroke, but this summer northern Finland has seen temperatures hover around 30C for days on end.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2025

“Why not Lifebuoy?” said Father Christmas, trying to be helpful and looking anxiously at Mary Poppins, for she was being rather snappy.

From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers

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