St. Basil

7.9

A 4th-century bishop of Caesarea who defends Christian teaching and is a saint

proper noun

: San Basilio

The feast day of St. Basil is celebrated on January 1st in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Examples

St. Basil is venerated for his contributions to Christian theology and monasticism.
Many towns and churches across Europe bear the name of St. Basil in his honor.
The teachings of St. Basil are still influential today.
Did you know that St. Basil was a key figure in early Christianity?
St. Basil is venerated for his contributions to Christian theology and monasticism.
Many towns and churches across Europe bear the name of St. Basil in his honor.
The feast day of St. Basil is celebrated on January 1st in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Synonyms

Basil of Caesarea

vsSt. Basil

9.9

A 4th-century bishop and teacher who defends main Christian beliefs and is honored as a saint

is the same figure but uses a different name form

St. Basil the Great

vsSt. Basil

9.2

A Christian bishop from the 300s who helped the poor and wrote about faith

is the same figure but the title emphasizes greatness

Basil the Great

vsSt. Basil

9.7

A 4th-century bishop in Caesarea who defended Christian beliefs

is the same person but uses a shorter less honorific name form

Surface Forms

St. Basil main

Morphology

St. + Basil

This is compositionally transparent: 'St.' is the abbreviation of 'Saint' and 'Basil' is a personal name, so a learner who knows those constituents will infer it refers to a saint named Basil. They would not deduce the detailed biographical information (4th-century bishop, theological role) from the words alone, but the basic referential meaning is directly derivable and mirrors cross-linguistic saint+name patterns.

Etymology

St. Basil comes from a famous bishop named Basil who lived in the 4th century. Because he was seen as a very holy teacher and leader, people called him a 'saint' and often named churches, towns, and celebrations after him.