Holy One

[ hoh-lee wuhn ]

noun

1. God.
2. Christianity. Jesus Christ, especially as the Messiah.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Holy One¹

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

“I nearly got a hole in one,” he responds in Spanish, pronouncing it like “a holy one.”

From Los Angeles Times

A Braver Angels worksheet on family and politics lists examples of phrases that reveal old resentments, derailing discussion, such as “You’re not the boss of me,” “You’ve never taken me seriously,” or “You think you’re the smart/enlightened/holy one.”

From Seattle Times

The novel opens with its own Genesis: “The Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them, creating worlds and destroying them, and then, just before giving up, He finally came up with this one. And it could be much worse.”

From Washington Post

It means “master,” or “holy one.”

From Literature

A holy one, cloaked in flowing white and crimson, took our hands in theirs.

From Slate