der Heilige, -n
saint
Eine Person, die wegen ihres besonders guten und frommen Lebens sehr geehrt wird.
Definition & meaning
Heilige has two main uses:
- A female saint: die Heilige means a woman recognized as holy, especially in Christianity. The plural can be Heilige or, with a definite article, die Heiligen.
- An inflected form of the adjective “holy”: heilige means “holy” or “sacred” when it modifies a noun, as in eine heilige Stätte (“a holy place”). It is normally written lowercase as an adjective; the capitalized spelling Heilige can occur at the beginning of a sentence.
Grammar & Word origin
As a noun, Heilige is formed by turning the adjective heilig into a noun. It is commonly feminine: die Heilige . The same form can also refer generally to a holy person, depending on context.
As an adjective, heilige is an inflected form of heilig. Its ending changes according to the noun’s gender, case, and article.
The word derives from Old High German heilag, meaning “holy” or “sacred,” and is related to the idea of being consecrated or set apart.
Synonyms & antonyms
For the noun meaning “female saint”:
- Selige — a person declared “blessed” in the Catholic Church; this is a specific religious status and is not always equivalent to sainthood.
- Märtyrerin — a woman who dies for her faith or beliefs; not every saint is a martyr.
For the adjective meaning “holy” or “sacred”:
- sakral — emphasizes religious or ritual significance.
- geweiht — means consecrated or formally dedicated to a religious purpose.
Possible antonyms of the adjective include:
- profan — nonreligious or not sacred.
- weltlich — belonging to ordinary, secular life rather than religion.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Der Heilige lebt in einem Kloster.noun
The saint lives in a monastery.
Heilige werden oft in Geschichten erwähnt.noun
Saints are often mentioned in stories.
Eine Heilige wird oft für ihre Taten verehrt.noun
A saint is often venerated for her deeds.
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