Satan

American  

[seyt-n] / ˈseɪt n /

noun

1. the chief evil spirit; the great adversary of humanity; the devil.

---

Satan British  

/ ˈseɪtən /

noun

1. the devil, adversary of God, and tempter of mankind: sometimes identified with Lucifer (Luke 4:5–8)

---

Satan Cultural  

1. The devil. In the Bible (see also Bible), Satan is identified with the tempter who encourages the fall of Adam and Eve; he is the accuser who torments Job in the hope that he will curse God; the one who offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus will worship him (see Get thee behind me, Satan); and the evil one who puts betrayal in the heart of Judas. Satan will one day be confined in hell, but until then he is free to roam the Earth.

---

Discover More

Satan has been depicted in many ways: as a man with horns, goat hooves, a pointed tail, a pointed beard, and a pitchfork; as a dragon; and sometimes as an angel with large batlike wings.

Satan is the power of darkness opposed to the light of Christ; he is thus sometimes referred to as the Prince of Darkness.

Etymology

Origin of Satan

before 900; Middle English, Old English < Late Latin < Greek Satân, Satán < Hebrew śātān adversary

Compare meaning

How does satan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Lucifer vs. Satan

Example Sentences

More than two dozen people in the town were accused and tortured in the belief that they were doing Satan's bidding, as religious fervour swept the area during the 17th Century.

From BBC

While showing Crowe the indoor swimming pool, Bowie remarks that the only problem with the house “is that Satan lives in that swimming pool.”

From Los Angeles Times

These followers unabashedly argue that “transgenderism” is a tool of Satan and that acceptance of gender non-conforming people is a form of demonic possession.

From Salon

He has long denied being a Satan worshipper, as some critics insisted, and he once told an interviewer he was a baptized Christian.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said the letter had been "signed in blood" and "pledged his soul to Satan" but claimed it was "just a joke".

From BBC