What does besaint mean?
Besaint is a rare English verb meaning to make a saint — that is, to declare, regard, or treat someone as a saint. Formed from the familiar prefix 'be-' attached to the noun 'saint', it belongs to a productive pattern in English whereby 'be-' converts nouns into verbs (compare 'befriend' or 'besiege'). The word appears almost exclusively in historical, religious, or literary writing, typically describing how popular acclaim or ecclesiastical authority elevated a holy figure to sainthood, whether through formal canonization or through the informal veneration of the faithful. Because it is archaic, modern writers use it mainly for stylistic effect or when quoting older sources, and readers are far more likely to meet its common synonym 'canonize'. Its interest lies less in current utility than in what it reveals about English word-formation: the same transparent morphology that gave us everyday verbs also produced this now-obscure term for the act of saint-making.
verbTo make a saint; to declare or treat someone as a saint.
- To make a saint of; to canonize or venerate someone as a saint.
"The chroniclers besainted the pious king long before any formal canonization took place."
"Medieval writers were quick to besaint any monarch who endowed an abbey."
"Popular devotion had effectively besainted the humble friar centuries before the Church acted."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of besaint
Besaint is formed within English from the prefix 'be-' plus the noun 'saint', following a well-established Germanic pattern of deriving verbs from nouns. The noun 'saint' itself entered Middle English from Old French 'seint', ultimately from Latin 'sanctus', meaning 'holy, consecrated', the past participle of 'sancire', 'to make sacred'. Besaint thus shares its ultimate root with words such as sanctify, sanctity, sanctuary, and sanction. The verb is now rare and generally treated as archaic.
How besaint is actually used
A rare and largely archaic word, encountered chiefly in historical or literary prose about medieval veneration rather than in everyday speech.
Easily confused with besaint
Besaint means to make a saint, while besant is an heraldic term for a gold coin or roundel depicted on a coat of arms.