Teresa

American  

[tuh-ree-suh, -zuh, -rey-, te-re-sah] / təˈri sə, -zə, -ˈreɪ-, tɛˈrɛ sɑ /

noun

1. Mother Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, 1910–97, Albanian nun: Nobel Peace Prize 1979 for work in the slums of Calcutta, India.

2. Saint. Theresa, Saint.

3. a female given name, form of Theresa.

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Teresa British  

/ təˈriːzə /

noun

1. Saint, known as Teresa of Avila. 1515–82, Spanish nun and mystic. She reformed the Carmelite order and founded 17 convents. Her writings include a spiritual autobiography and The Way to Perfection. Feast day: Oct 15

2. Mother, original name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. 1910–97, Indian Roman Catholic missionary, born in Skopje, now in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of Albanian parents: noted for her work among the starving in Calcutta; Nobel peace prize 1979

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Example Sentences

Affidavits from five Cuban men described being forced onto buses on several occasions and driven to Santa Teresa, N.M., a remote, one-lane border crossing where tumbleweeds pile up against an 18-foot-tall border wall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

“Expanding access is a meaningful step,” Teresa Ghilarducci, director of the Wealth Equity Lab, said in a statement.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

The move “could significantly reduce the retirement coverage gap that affects tens of millions of low- and moderate-income workers,” Teresa Ghilarducci, an economist and New School professor who is an expert on retirement.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

Supporters of 5200 include Bay Area resident Teresa Pasquini, a mental health reform advocate whose brother and son have both dealt with severe mental illness.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

But in the end the eyes of Teresa and Cynthia were filled with tears, and Martin and Timothy looked sad.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien