Santo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to a holy person or saint within certain religious contexts
2. used in some cultures to denote respect towards a revered figure
3. can also describe a title of honor given to individuals recognized for their exemplary virtue

Etymology: Spanish "santo" is the Spanish descendant of Latin "sanctus", meaning "holy" or "consecrated", and it reached English by way of Spanish. The Latin word came from "sancire", "to make sacred or inviolable", and carried the same core sense of something set apart and protected from the ordinary. In Old Spanish the form was "santo" before settling into the modern spelling, and the Spanish word kept its religious weight, applied to saints and sacred things. English borrowed it directly from Spanish, so the word arrived as a loan rather than through the older French route that brought many other religious terms into English. Its use as a title of respect for a revered figure, as in some cultures' practice of honouring a holy person, follows the Spanish sense of "saint" carried over into English. The Latin root "sanctus" also gave English "sanctity" and "sanctify", showing how one ancient idea of inviolable sacredness spread across both learned and everyday vocabulary.

Synonyms: saint, holy person, martyr, holy figure, blessed one

Antonyms: sinner, villain, evil-doer