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Definition of santa

santa

/ˈsæn.tə/
san · ta
Plural:Santas
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santa Lexical Profile

• noun

1

The legendary patron figure of Christmas in Western culture, typically depicted as a jolly, white-bearded man in a red suit who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve.

Example

"The children stayed up late hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa delivering their presents."

2

A person dressed as Santa Claus, especially one employed to interact with children in a department store or mall during the holiday season.

Example

"He worked as a mall Santa during December to earn extra money for his family."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for santa

• Rhymes for santa

• Nearby Words

sans
sansevieria
sanskrit
santa
santa ana
santa ana river
santa clara

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'sancta' (holy, saint). In English, it is almost entirely a shortening of 'Santa Claus', which itself is an Americanized phonetic alteration of the Dutch 'Sinterklaas' (Saint Nicholas).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Santa. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/santa
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