Santería

or San·te·ri·a

[ sahn-tuh-ree-uh ]

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a religion merging the worship of Yoruba deities with veneration of Roman Catholic saints: practiced in Cuba and spread to other parts of the Caribbean and to the United States by Cuban emigrés.

Santeria

/ ˌsæntəˈrɪə /

noun

1. a Caribbean religion composed of elements from both traditional African religion and Roman Catholicism

Word History and Origins

Origin of Santería¹

First recorded in 1980–85; from Latin American Spanish, equivalent to santer(o) “person practicing Santería” ( Spanish sant(o) saint + -ero, from Latin -ārius -ary ) + -ía -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of Santería¹

American Spanish, literally: holiness

Example Sentences

One of my uncles tells me that I must be the son of Chango, a Santería saint, because every change has always been preceded by high doses of sacrifice and dedication.

From Washington Blade