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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Lucumí is all about survival and care,” explained Aisha M. Beliso-De Jesús, a professor of American studies at Princeton University and author of “Electric Santería: Racial and Sexual Assemblages of Transnational Religion.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025
Santería was born as a form of quiet resistance among Cuba’s Black communities.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024
Depictions of roses, a skull, a goat and a Santería evil eye dance around them, illuminated in sepia spotlights and looking like they could have come straight from a deck of tarot cards.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 6, 2023
Perhaps the brightest of the girls, Squeeze, of Puerto Rican and Haitian background, discusses the fine points of Santería practice with Pipe, who wants the club rituals to open a portal to the supernatural.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2023
Bobbito, Manny, and Wayne find a groove; then in comes Madrina's bellowing song about Ochún, the Santería river goddess of love.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
In the hallway, Arnette said the beads reflected his new religion, Santeria, or Way of the Saints.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 8, 2023
Commission on International Religious Freedom estimates 70% in Cuba practice some version of Santeria or similar African-based religions.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 9, 2023
As in Baroque paintings of saints, each is depicted with symbolic attributes: Gilmore and Puar with books; Padilla with a compact Santeria altar.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 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
Three generations of a family pause for a photo before they enter a Santeria church in Brooklyn in 2006.
From Washington Post
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
