Samaritan
Americannoun
-
an inhabitant of Samaria.
-
any of the dialects of Aramaic spoken by the Samaritans in ancient Israel and until recently still spoken in Nablus.
adjective
noun
-
a native or inhabitant of Samaria
-
short for Good Samaritan
-
a member of a voluntary organization ( the Samaritans ) which offers counselling to people in despair, esp by telephone
-
the dialect of Aramaic spoken in Samaria
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Samaritan
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English, from Late Latin plural adjective and noun Samarītānī “Samaritan, Samaritans” (from Greek Samarī́t(ēs) “a Samaritan,” derivative of Samáreia “Samaria”)
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.
His primary attorney Steve Haney contends that the fire was instead set off by people using fireworks, and that his client was a "Good Samaritan" who called 911 a total of 17 times.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
The 2½-month-old puppy, Peanut, was brought in as a stray on March 9 after being rescued by a good Samaritan in Arcadia, according to Jamie Holeman, chief marketing and communications officer at Pasadena Humane.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
Not far from the Samaritan Clinic is Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Southwest Georgia’s largest hospital — a nonprofit founded on the principle that patients should be treated regardless of their ability to pay.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2026
He was, by all accounts, acting as a Good Samaritan, trying to break up the fight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025
But from the moment the fever first began to claim victims, Dr. Rush had been a tower of energy and care, an ever-present Good Samaritan.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
