Definition

Noun: 1. The status, condition, or dignity of being a saint: This refers to the official recognition by a religious institution (especially the Roman Catholic Church) that a deceased person lived a life of heroic virtue and is now in heaven, worthy of public veneration. 2. (Collectively) Saints as a group: This refers to all saints considered together as a body or community.

Usage Examples

• Referring to status/dignity:
  • The long and rigorous process of canonization finally led to her sainthood.
  • He was elevated to sainthood decades after his martyrdom.
• Referring to saints collectively:
  • The feast day celebrates the entire sainthood of the church.
  • In Catholic theology, the sainthood is believed to intercede for the living.

Advanced Usage

• "Achieve/attain sainthood": To be officially declared a saint.
  • The nun is on the path to potentially achieving sainthood.
• "Call to sainthood": The religious vocation or invitation to live a saintly life.
  • The priest spoke about every believer's call to sainthood.

Variants and Related Words

• Saint (n): A person recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness or likeness to God.
• Saintly (adj): Resembling or characteristic of a saint in virtue or piety.
• Canonization (n): The official act of declaring a deceased person a saint.

Synonyms

• Canonization (specifically for the act conferring the status)
• Sanctity (refers more to the quality of being holy or sacred)
• The communion of saints (a related theological term for the collective group)

Notes on Meaning

The two meanings are closely related but used in different contexts. The first (status) is often used in biographical or institutional contexts discussing the process of becoming a saint. The second (collective) is used in more theological, liturgical, or general discussions about the community of all saints.

Noun

1. the status and dignity of a saint
2. saints collectively