saint Meaning & Definition
What Does Saint Mean?
Saint is used as a noun meaning one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness. It is also used to mean one of the spirits of the departed in heaven. As a verb, it means to recognize or designate as a saint.
Word Facts for Saint
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsānt/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | apotheosis, paragon and nonpareil |
| Plural | saints |
| Verb forms | saints, sainting, sainted |
Saint Definition (Noun)
- one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness
- one of the spirits of the departed in heaven
- angel
- one of God's chosen and usually Christian people
- a member of any of various Christian bodies
- latter-day saint
- one eminent for piety or virtue
- an illustrious predecessor
Saint as a Verb
- to recognize or designate as a saint
- canonize
Synonyms of Saint
Saint synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Saint
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Saint in a Sentence
The Roman Catholic Church proclaimed Kateri Tekakwitha a saint in 2012.
Dorothy Day was a living saint.
Thanks for looking after the house while I'm away. You're a saint!
Many Catholics wished to see Pope John Paul II sainted immediately after his death.
Kateri Tekakwitha was proclaimed a saint.
Many wish to see Pope John Paul II sainted immediately.
Word Forms & Grammar
saint·dom noun
saint·like adjective
Saint
Saints
saint
saintdom
saintdoms
saintlike
saints
saint·ed
saint·ing
sainted
sainting
saint (plural saints)
saint (third-person singular simple present saints, present participle sainting, simple past and past participle sainted)
Words That Rhyme With Saint
Origin of Saint
Origin 1: Middle English, from Anglo-French seint, saint, from Late Latin sanctus, from Latin, sacred, from past participle of sancire to make sacred sacred
Origin 2: From Middle English saint, seint, sainct, seinct, sanct, senct, partly from Old English sanct (“saint”) and confluence with Old French saint, seinte (Modern French saint); both from Latin sānctus (“holy, consecrated”, in Late Latin as a noun, “a saint”), past participle of sancīre (“to render sacred, make holy”), akin to sacer (“holy, sacred”). Doublet of Sanctus. Displaced native Middle English halwe (“saint”) from Old English hālga (“saint, holy one”) (> Modern English hallow (“saint”)).
Origin 3: From Middle English saynten, seinten, sonten, partly from Anglo-Norman saintir and partly from the noun Middle English seint, seynt (see above).
First Known Use
13th century
How Do You Say Saint?
You say saint as /ˈsānt/. It has 1 syllable.
Saint: Your Questions Answered
Is saint a noun or a verb?
Saint is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for saint?
Close synonyms of saint are apotheosis, paragon and nonpareil. See the full list of saint synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of saint?
The plural of saint is saints.
What is the past tense of saint?
The past tense of saint is sainted. The present participle is sainting.