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
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
Meanwhile, Santería practitioners pulled from the same tools they used to survive in earlier centuries.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 9, 2023
The ones who wear white are following the Santería tradition.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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
Animal sacrifice is protected by a 30-year-old Supreme Court precedent, which upheld the right of practitioners of the Santeria faith to commit animal sacrifice.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
“Let’s talk about Voodoo and Santeria and how they’ve been demonized through history and why they’ve been demonized,” she said.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 2, 2022
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
Definitions 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.
