saint

1 of 2

noun

ˈsānt 

 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

b

: angel sense 1a

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

ˈsānt-dəm 

noun

saintlike

ˈsānt-ˌlīk 

adjective

saint

2 of 2

verb

ˈsānt 

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

Medieval stories about the sacred or supernatural—demons, angels, saints, relics and visions—were set in a society where the borders between natural and supernatural were thought to have been thin or nonexistent. —Matthew Gabriele, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024

The altar houses relics of five saints tied to Paris, including St. Catherine Labouré and St. Charles de Foucauld, continuing a centuries-old tradition of embedding sacred artifacts at the heart of worship spaces. —Thomas Adamson and Sylvie Corbet The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 9 Dec. 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

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

Phrases Containing saint

• have the patience of a saint
• patron saint
• plaster saint
• saint's day
• the patience of a saint

Kids Definition

saint

1 of 2 noun

ˈsānt 

 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

ˈsānt 

: canonize