santería
/sˌæntˈɛɹiə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.25 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An Afro-Cuban religion, somewhat similar to voodoo, based upon Yoruba deities and Roman Catholic saints.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Santería is the name for an Afro-Cuban religious and belief system with origins in the slave era. The survival of santería over many centuries required adherents to conduct their ceremonies and rituals away from the gaze of European slave owners and the Catholic Church."
- "Although all worshipers of Santería could be called Santeros, the term usually refers to the priests or priestesses."
- "Santería is probably the variety of these syncretist religions closest to Catholicism, so that in Cuban Catholicism it is difficult to separate much Catholic practice in the parish churches from Santería, and it is really impossible to put statistics on the number of its practitioners, so all-pervasive is its influence."
- "Denied her sex by biology, Sandra finds the powers of spiritual transformation in gender in santería, a transcultural religious practice with Catholic elements."
- "Anyway, getting back to the proof of the pudding, I'm sure you will admit that there is something about the supernatural world, in which I include voodoo and santería."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: santería