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St. Mary Magdalene

St. Mary Magdalene

1 8.0
A woman who follows Jesus, is healed by him and sees his death and return to life
  • proper noun
: 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
16 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
2 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
1 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.