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.

See Examples For:

Santa Claus

A holiday push for Pepsi replaces cookies and milk for Santa Claus with soda and pizza.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

They need to write to Santa Claus and ask for a serviceable backup center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

"The publicity that went on about Santa Claus getting arrested at Christmastime was just brilliant."

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

The Santa Claus rally that does enjoy statistical significance covers the period from Christmas through the second day of January.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

The Christmas season was Santa Claus for us; people had expensive presents lying all over their houses.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

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