Other forms: saints
A saint is somebody declared holy by a church. A patron saint, made a saint, the feast of the saint.
In the Catholic church the process takes years and requires verified miracles, and the person who argued against the case was once called the devil's advocate, which is where that phrase comes from. In ordinary speech a saint is anybody remarkably patient.
1nounsaintSomebody declared holy by a church.
“The church is named after Saint Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland.”
saint is a person.
Latin sanctus means holy, the past participle of sancire, to consecrate. Sacred is a relative.
Latin
sānctus — holy, consecrated”, in Late Latin as a noun, “a saint
Old French
saint
Old English
sanct — saint
Middle English
saint
English, today
saint
Built from
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 sanciō (“to render sacred, make holy”), akin to sacer (“holy, sacred”). a doublet of Sanctus. Displaced native Middle English halwe (“saint”) from Old English hālga (“saint, holy one”) (> Modern English hallow (“saint”)).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA