Word
ste
Phoneticsste
Definition
n. a short way of writing the word 'Saint' before a person's name. It is usually used for female saints in French or older English texts.
n. an abbreviation for 'Sainte', the feminine form of 'Saint'. Used primarily as a title preceding the name of a female saint or in geographical place names derived from French.
Examples
“The church is dedicated to Ste. Catherine.”
“In many older maps of Quebec, you will see towns named Ste-Julie or Ste-Anne using this specific abbreviation.”
“While 'St.' is the standard gender-neutral abbreviation in modern English, historical documents often distinguish female figures by using 'Ste.' to reflect the original French hagiographic tradition.”
Examples
simple
“The church is dedicated to Ste. Catherine.”
contextual
“In many older maps of Quebec, you will see towns named Ste-Julie or Ste-Anne using this specific abbreviation.”
complex
“While 'St.' is the standard gender-neutral abbreviation in modern English, historical documents often distinguish female figures by using 'Ste.' to reflect the original French hagiographic tradition.”
Usage
Typically used as a title before a proper noun; often followed by a period in English but not always in French.
Pitfall
Ste. Patrick
St. Patrick
'Ste.' is specifically the feminine abbreviation; masculine names must use 'St.'.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ste