# Santo

/ˈsæntoʊ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/santo
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. religious statue

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a statue of a saint or angel, often carved from wood, found in Spanish and Latin American religious art.

For teachers: a carved religious icon or statue, typically of a saint, prevalent in the folk and liturgical art of Spain and former Spanish territories.

- The museum displayed a beautiful 18th-century santo carved from cedar wood.
- The collector specialised in colonial-era santos, focusing particularly on those with original polychrome finishes from the Andean region.

Usage: Often used in the context of art history or religious studies.

Teaching tip: This term is specific to Hispanic art history; for general religious figures, students should use 'saint' or 'statue'.

## Examples

- The artist carved a beautiful santo from cedar wood.
- Collectors often travel to remote villages to find authentic santo figures created by local craftsmen for parish churches.
- The museum's collection features several 18th-century santos, showcasing the unique blend of European Catholic iconography and indigenous artistic techniques prevalent in the region at that time.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.