Santa Claus

American  

[san-tuh klawz] / ˈsæn tə ˌklɔz /

Or Santa Klaus

noun

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

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Santa Claus British  

/ ˈsæntə ˌklɔːz /

noun

1. 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

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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

See Examples For:

Santa Claus

For longtime residents, the neighborhood itself is about as real as Santa Claus, or the tooth fairy—“East Williamsburg” could’ve just as easily been “South Greenpoint” or “West Bushwick” or “Tatooine” or “Six Flags.”

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026

Multiple parents recounted a Christmas photo-op in which an ICE agent dressed as Santa Claus shoved away children who tried to hug him, then vanished with his treats the moment the cameras disappeared.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

You'd have thought Santa Claus had shown up in person with a bag of toys for each of them.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell