saint

1 of 2

noun

ˈsānt How to pronounce saint (audio)
 before a name  (ˌ)sānt,
 or  sənt
1
: one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness
abbreviation St.
2
a
: one of the spirits of the departed in heaven
3
a
: one of God's chosen and usually Christian people
b
capitalized : a member of any of various Christian bodies
specifically : latter-day saint
4
: one eminent for piety or virtue
5
: an illustrious predecessor
saintdom noun
saintlike adjective

saint

2 of 2

verb

sainted; sainting; saints

transitive verb

: to recognize or designate as a saint
specifically : canonize

Examples of saint in a Sentence

Noun He was declared a saint in the fifth century. The salesperson was a saint for putting up with them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The filmmakers lacked the confidence to portray faithfully the religious motivations of a great saint. Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 17 Mar. 2024 This is largely due the holiday commemorating the Christian saint who brought Christianity to Ireland and is believed to have died on March 17, 461. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 Gay groups were banned from the parade the next year on the grounds that their presence was inappropriate for a celebration of a Catholic saint. Liam Stack, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 The earliest depictions of the saint depict him in blue robes and garments. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 The Russian state defeated Navalny, turning his unique biography into the story of a secular saint. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2024 Meet Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint, Catholic convert 'willing to take my cross but kissed it, too'. Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 By cloaking their gods in the guise of Catholic saints, the enslaved in Cuba could continue to worship as their forebearers in Benin and Congo had done. Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024 The Vatican condemned the video, which featured the stigmata-rocking superstar engaged in dirty thoughts about a saint, causing Pepsi to cancel its sponsorship deal. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
Charismatic in life, she was sainted in death,’’ Goodyear wrote. Steven Litt, cleveland, 22 Feb. 2020 There are so many people to saint but first and foremost are the volunteer fire departments who responded to the fire. Sainted & Tainted Writers, Twin Cities, 13 July 2019 In 2000, Nicholas, his wife, and children were sainted by the Russian Orthodox church. Nancy Bilyeau, Town & Country, 25 Apr. 2017 Feed My Starving Children is to be sainted for its work — people working to feed people. Sainted & Tainted Writers, Twin Cities, 17 June 2017 MOUNT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY, Los Angeles Jocelin Mata, Santa Ana High School Major: nursing, $ Why this school? Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 15 June 2017 The average number of carries in a season for a lead Saints back is roughly half (175) the total Peterson was used to getting in Minnesota. Jeff Duncan, NOLA.com, 19 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French seint, saint, from Late Latin sanctus, from Latin, sacred, from past participle of sancire to make sacred — more at sacred

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saint was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near saint

Cite this Entry

“Saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saint. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

saint

1 of 2 noun
ˈsānt How to pronounce saint (audio)
 when a name follows  (ˌ)sānt,
 or  sənt
1
: a holy and godly person
especially : one who is declared to be worthy of special honor
2
: a person who is very good especially about helping others

saint

2 of 2 verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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