saint

American  

[seynt] / seɪnt /

noun

1. any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization.

2. a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.

3. a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization.

4. (in certain religious groups) a designation applied by the members to themselves.

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verb (used with object)

1. to enroll formally among the saints recognized by the Church.

2. to give the name of saint to; reckon as a saint.

saint British  

/ seɪnt, sənt /

noun

1. 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

2. a person of exceptional holiness or goodness

3. (plural) Bible the collective body of those who are righteous in God's sight

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verb

1. (tr) to canonize; recognize formally as a saint

saint Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• outsaint verb (used with object)
• saintdom noun
• saintless adjective
• saintlike adjective
• supersaint noun

Etymology

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 sacer sacred ) + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Old English sanct < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

The artefacts are said to include a sculpture of a saint's head stolen from Malbork castle, a royal residence in northern Poland.

From Barron's

In “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” the streaming TV show’s executive producer, host and narrator does a dramatized dive into one saint’s life in each episode and tries to separate historical facts from myths.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a grand work operating on the largest scale, with a symphony orchestra, choirs and odes to saints rendered in many languages.

From The Wall Street Journal

Like comic strips, the predellas contain a series of interlocking, loosely sequential stories, typically the lives of saints.

From The Wall Street Journal

I pile it over rice cooker rice, which steams quietly in the background like a saint and doesn’t punish me for wanting a warm carb in a too-hot world.

From Salon