Synonyms

Santa Claus

American

[san-tuh klawz] / ˈsæn tə ˌklɔz /

Or Santa Klaus

noun

a benevolent figure of legend, associated with Saint Nicholas, supposed to bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve.

Santa Claus British

/ ˈsæntə ˌklɔːz /

noun

Often shortened to: Santa. Also called: Father Christmas. the legendary patron saint of children, commonly identified with Saint Nicholas, who brings presents to children on Christmas Eve or, in some European countries, on Saint Nicholas' Day

"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

Etymology

Origin of Santa Claus

1765–75, from Dutch Sinterklaas, equivalent to sint saint + heer (Myn)heer ( def. ) + Klaas, short for Niklaas Nicholas ( def. )

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.

It’s also a send-up of legal procedurals, with Lincoln’s cases including a fight over who’s the real Santa Claus and a custody battle that devolves into a theological debate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

SantaCon is a ticketed pub-crawl event, which is attended by around 25,000 people dressed as Santa Claus and other holiday characters, according to the charging document against Pildes.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

More than 25,000 people attend the annual SantaCon event in New York City, dressed up as Santa Claus, elves and other holiday characters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

My sibling said she felt crestfallen and likened it to discovering there was no Santa Claus.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

And the time when she had tried to find out whether Mo was Santa Claus.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023