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holy person

holy person

1 4.5
A person people respect for being very religious and thought to help others with prayer
  • noun
  • /ˈhoʊli ˈpɜrsən/
translation icon : persona santa
  • Many believe that a holy person can guide others on their spiritual journeys.

In other words, she was a nun, a holy person who lived in a cell attached to a church.

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Examples

  • God spreads his mercy over the earth on account of the presence of holy people in his places.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Shenoute also concedes that the mere presence of holy people can contribute to the salvation of a community.

    Academic text (2004)
  • David made me want to be a better, more holy person.

    Blog text (26)
  • A holy person does not speak the Creator's Name without a covering for their head.

    Blog text (20)
  • In other words, she was a nun, a holy person who lived in a cell attached to a church.

  • "Ah, they must indeed be holy people," said Abba Macarius.

    Academic text (1994)
  • And we can talk about the Saints, meaning the holy people, the people that are in touch with and in communion with or connection with the divine.

  • At one level, the notion of the ascetic as a holy person was a response to the acculturation of Christianity.

    Academic text (2008)
  • She was considered a holy person due to her selfless acts of charity.

  • In our community, a holy person is someone who helps others without seeking recognition.

Synonyms

saint
vsholy person
308 3.9

A very holy, kind person often officially declared by the Church

is a general term for an exceptionally virtuous individual without official declaration
holy man
vsholy person
19 4.9

A man people respect for his strong religious life, like a monk or priest

is gender neutral and applies to any exceptionally virtuous individual
hallow
vsholy person
  • Archaic
4 9.9

An old word for a saint in the Christian religion

is the modern general term for such exceptional virtue without archaic form
holy woman
vsholy person
1 5.3

A woman admired for her strong religious faith and kind actions

is gender neutral and used for any exceptionally virtuous individual

How Holy

saint
308 3.9
holy person
1 4.5
ordinary
5 2.0

Surface Forms

holy person singular
holy persons plural
holy people plural

Morphology

holy + person

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'holy' (sacred, pure) with 'person' (a human individual); the adjective+noun composition yields a person who is holy without any idiomatic shift. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand.

Etymology

The term holy person comes from religious life, where a person who lived simply, prayed a lot and helped others was seen as set apart for the sacred. People pictured the holy person as pure or even with a 'halo', and they trusted them to guide or heal others, so holy person now means someone very 'spiritual' and 'good'.