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• Santería
  Santería

  noun

  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
  Santeria

  noun

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

Santería

American  

[sahn-tuh-ree-uh] / ˌsɑn təˈri ə /

Or Santeria

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.

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Santeria British  

/ ˌsæntəˈrɪə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of Santería

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

Example Sentences

“I liked that Santeria doesn’t obligate anyone to fit into a model.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2023

Growing up with grandparents who were from Cuba, who practiced Santeria, I think traditions and celebrations have always been interesting to me.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2022

His art draws on his Afro-Dominican American identity, as well as on a religious upbringing that incorporated Catholicism, Evangelical Christianity, Vodun, Santeria and Afro-Caribbean spiritual practices.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2022

Unregistered evangelical churches, Mr. Dahlgren said, face “fake charges, and other sorts of really harsh repression mechanism” because of their status, as do followers of Santeria and Yoruba and Palo Mayombe.

From Washington Times • Aug. 3, 2022

One thing that mingled distinctively in the Caribbean is religion, yielding such African-European hybrids as Vodun, Santeria and Rastafari.

From Washington Post • Jun. 28, 2022