sanbenito

[ san-buh-nee-toh ]

/ ˌsæn bəˈni toʊ /

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noun, plural san·be·ni·tos.(under the Spanish Inquisition)

an ornamented garment worn by a condemned heretic at an auto-da-fé.

a penitential garment worn by a confessed heretic, of yellow for the penitent, of black for the impenitent.

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Origin of sanbenito

1550–60; <Spanish, named after San Benito Saint Benedict, from its resemblance to the scapular believed to have been introduced by him

Words nearby sanbenito

San Antonio Peak, Sanatana Dharma, sanative, sanatorium, sanatory, sanbenito, San Bernardino, San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino Pass, San Bernardo, San Blas

Other definitions for sanbenito (2 of 2)

San Benito

[ san buh-nee-toh ]

/ ˌsæn bəˈni toʊ /

noun

a city in S Texas.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sanbenito in a sentence

Valer's sanbenito was displayed for a long time in the metropolitan church of Seville.
The Story of Seville|Walter M. Gallichan
I would rather have put on a sanbenito myself than have gone there.
The Spanish Brothers|Deborah Alcock
This saco bendito became known as the sanbenito or, more commonly, abito and was necessarily inherited by the new Inquisition.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3|Henry Charles Lea
Two years and a half were spent on the trials of Diego and Ana, ending with a sentence of irremissible prison and sanbenito.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3|Henry Charles Lea

He continued his apostolate and, on a second trial, he was condemned to perpetual prison and sanbenito.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 3|Henry Charles Lea

British Dictionary definitions for sanbenito

sanbenito

/ (ˌsænbəˈniːtəʊ) /

noun plural -tos

a yellow garment bearing a red cross, worn by penitent heretics in the Inquisition

a black garment bearing flames and devils, worn by impenitent heretics at an auto-da-fé

Word Origin for sanbenito

C16: from Spanish San Benito Saint Benedict, an ironical allusion to its likeness to the Benedictine scapular

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