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St. Mary Magdalene

St. Mary Magdalene

8.0
A woman who follows Jesus, is healed by him and sees his death and return to life
  • proper noun
translation icon : Santa María Magdalena
  • Did St. Mary Magdalene really witness the resurrection?

Examples

  • Many people admire St. Mary Magdalene for her unwavering faith.

  • St. Mary Magdalene was one of the key figures present at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

  • Many churches are named after St. Mary Magdalene across Europe.

  • Some legends claim that St. Mary Magdalene traveled to southern France after Jesus's resurrection.

  • The painting depicts St. Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross.

  • According to the Bible, St. Mary Magdalene was healed by Jesus from seven demons.

  • As a devoted follower, St. Mary Magdalene was there when Jesus was buried.

Synonyms

Mary Magdalene
vsSt. Mary Magdalene
1 5.6

A woman in the New Testament who Jesus heals and who follows him closely

focuses more on witnessing crucifixion and resurrection rather than devotion
Mary Magdalen
vsSt. Mary Magdalene
5.3

A woman in the New Testament who was healed by Jesus and became his follower

emphasizes later witnessing of crucifixion and resurrection rather than tradition
St. Mary Magdalen
vsSt. Mary Magdalene
7.9

A woman who followed Jesus and is shown as sorry for her sins

focuses on witnessing crucifixion and resurrection not on moral character

Surface Forms

Morphology

St. + Mary + Magdalene

This is a proper name referring to a specific biblical person; knowing the constituent tokens 'St.' (saint), 'Mary', and 'Magdalene' does not allow a learner to infer the biographical meaning (follower of Jesus, healed by him, witness to crucifixion/resurrection). The information is referential and cultural/historical rather than compositional, so the meaning must be learned as a whole and is not predictable from the parts.

Etymology

St. Mary Magdalene is a name made of Mary and Magdalene, where Magdalene means 'from Magdala', a town by the sea. She was a woman Jesus healed who stayed with him and was the first 'witness' to see him alive after his death, so many churches are named for her.