szent

Szent is a Hungarian word meaning holy or sacred, and it also serves as the title for saints. As an adjective, szent describes something consecrated or sacred, such as a szent hely (holy place) or szent liturgia (holy liturgy). As a noun in names, it prefixes the names of saints, for example Szent István (Saint Stephen) or Szent László (Saint Ladislaus). The term is entrenched in Hungarian religious language and in everyday usage when referring to sanctity or to specific saints.

In religious practice and calendars, szent occurs in the designation of saints and their feast days. It is common in hagiographical contexts, liturgical texts, and educational materials about saints. The word also appears in the compound form szentség, meaning holiness or sanctity, and in phrases like Oltáriszentség for the Eucharist.

Toponymy and church dedications frequently employ the prefix Szent-, marking places, churches, and institutions as dedicated to a saint or sacred in nature. This use is widespread across Hungary and in regions with Hungarian influence, reflecting the historical importance of saintly dedication in religious and cultural life.

Etymology is native to Hungarian; szent is a basic term in the lexicon for sacred concepts and personifications of sanctity. Its continued use reflects both liturgical tradition and the cultural habit of naming places and institutions in honor of saints.