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saint
[ seynt ]
/ seɪnt /
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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.
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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 sacersacred) + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Old English sanct<Latin, as above
OTHER WORDS FROM saint
saintless, adjectiveoutsaint, verb (used with object)su·per·saint, nounWords nearby saint
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use saint in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for saint
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, nounsaintless, adjectivesaintlike, adjectiveWord Origin for saint
C12: from Old French, from Latin sanctus holy, from sancīre to hallow
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
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.