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Glite Dictionary
St. Peter the Apostle

St. Peter the Apostle

6.7
A follower of Jesus who led the Apostles and Catholics regard as the first Pope
  • proper noun
translation icon : San Pedro Apóstol
  • The Basilica of St. Peter the Apostle in Rome is a major pilgrimage site.

Examples

  • Many Christians consider St. Peter the Apostle to be the first leader of their church.

  • According to tradition, St. Peter the Apostle was crucified upside down.

  • St. Peter the Apostle is a key figure in Christianity.

  • Many people visit the Vatican to see the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle.

  • Many Christians consider St. Peter the Apostle to be the first leader of their church.

  • The Basilica of St. Peter the Apostle in Rome is a major pilgrimage site.

  • Many people visit the Vatican to see the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle.

Synonyms

Peter
vsSt. Peter the Apostle
∞ 2.0

One of the twelve followers of Jesus who leads the others and is the first pope in Catholic belief

emphasizes the formal role and official recognition rather than just the name
St. Peter
vsSt. Peter the Apostle
4 4.1

A leading follower of Jesus who led the first apostles and became the first Pope

uses the full descriptive title rather than the abbreviated honorific
Saint Peter
vsSt. Peter the Apostle
1 4.4

Many Christians call Saint Peter the leading follower of Jesus and the first pope

focuses more on his official role as leader and first Pope
Simon Peter
vsSt. Peter the Apostle
1 5.8

One of the twelve followers of Jesus who is seen as the leader and, by Catholic tradition, the first Pope

refers to him by role rather than by personal given name
Saint Peter the Apostle
vsSt. Peter the Apostle
5.5

A follower of Jesus who led the first Christians and is seen by Catholics as the first pope

is the same leader but without the added vicar title

Surface Forms

St. Peter the Apostle main

Morphology

St. + Peter + the + Apostle

This is a compositional, referential phrase: 'St.' (saint) + the proper name 'Peter' + the title 'Apostle' directly indicate that this is Peter who is an apostle. A B1 learner who knows the constituents ('St.' = saint, 'Peter' as a name, and 'apostle' = disciple of Jesus) can readily derive the intended meaning, and the same naming/title pattern occurs cross-linguistically.

Etymology

St. Peter the Apostle comes from the Bible story where Jesus gave the fisherman Simon the name Peter, from a word meaning 'rock', to show he would be the strong base of the new church. That's why people remember him as the first leader and give him the 'keys' as a sign that he is in charge.