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

The "spooky" note, dated to 1964, said the coins were winnings from a horse called Santa Claus that ran that year.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 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

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

The vending machine in the laundromat hasn't worked for months, so I walk across the street to the gas station—the one that: leaves its giant inflated Santa Claus up year-round—to get a bottle of juice.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi