S.

See also: Appendix:Variations of "s"

English

Noun

S. (plural SS.)

1. Abbreviation of Saint.
   • c. 1642, William Bedell, letter

     Have you forgotten S. Hierome's and Ruffinus's deadly foehood which was rung over the world?

   • 1685, Henry More, An Illustration of Those Two Abstruse Books in Holy Scripture, the Book of Daniel, and the Revelation of S. John:
   • 1891, On the Dedications of American Churches: An Enquiry into the Naming of Churches in the United States, some Account of English Dedications, and Suggestions for future Dedications in the American Church, Cambridge: […] Riverside Press, page 10:

     The Holy Apostles, 1379: Beloved Disciple, Holy Apostles, S. Andrew, S. Barnabas, S. Bartholomew, S. James, S. James the Greater, S. James the Less, S. John, S. John the Divine, S. John the Evangelist, S. Matthew, S. Matthias, S. Paul, S. Peter, SS. Peter and Paul, S. Peter in Galilee, S. Philip, S. Philip the Evangelist, S. Thaddeus, S. Thomas, Santiago.

   • 1995, William Granger Ryan, transl., Golden Legend:

     Then sent the emperor for S. Silvester and asked counsel of him of this matter.

2. Abbreviation of Signor.
3. Abbreviation of Signore.
4. Abbreviation of South.
5. (US politics, law) Abbreviation of Senate.

   Coordinate terms: H.R., H.Res.

   • 2025 August 25, Andrew J. Mangione Jr., “AMAC Supports Bill to Increase Affordable Housing in America”, in Association of Mature American Citizens‎:

     On behalf of AMAC Action, the advocacy affiliate of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), with over 2 million members nationwide, I write to thank you for your principled leadership in advancing S. 2651, the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025.

Adjective

S.

1. Abbreviation of Southern.

Usage notes

This is the customary abbreviation of this term as used in case citations. See, e.g., The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, Nineteenth Edition (2010), "Case Names and Institutional Authors in Citations", Table T6, p. 430-431.

German

Pronunciation

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany):

  (file)

Noun

S.

1. abbreviation of Seite
2. abbreviation of Süden
3. abbreviation of Satz
   • 2019, Stefan Muckel, Fälle zum Besonderen Verwaltungsrecht. Polizei- und Ordnungsrecht, Kommunalrecht mit Bezügen zum Verwaltungsprozessrecht, München: Franz Vahlen, →ISBN, 10. Fall: Fallender Baum, page 95:

     Ersatzfähig sind nach § 40 I 1 NRWOBG Vermögensschäden, die in einem unmittelbaren Zusammenhang mit der zu entschädigenden Maßnahme stehen. Ausdrücklich erwähnt ist im dortigen S. 2 beispielhaft der Ausfall des gewöhnlichen Verdienstes.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Italian

Noun

S. m (plural SS.)

1. abbreviation of San or Santo

Noun

S. f (plural SS.)

1. abbreviation of Santa

Latin

Proper noun

S. m (indeclinable)

1. Praenominal abbreviation of Spurius and Sextus.

Noun

S. m (indeclinable)

1. abbreviation of sānctus (“saint (male)”)

   S. Ioannes Baptista ― Saint John the Baptist

Noun

S. f (indeclinable)

1. abbreviation of sāncta (“saint (female)”)

Participle

S. (indeclinable)

1. abbreviation of sānctus (“holy”)

   S. Sedes Apostolica ― Holy Apostolic See

Adjective

S. (indeclinable)

1. abbreviation of summus (“supreme”)
   • 1673, Almerico Passarelli, De Donationibus ex Jure Divino et Humano Tractatus Theoreticus […] , page 341:

     S. Pontifex in temporalibus indiget Imperatore, Imperator S. Pontifice in spiritualibus

     The Supreme Pontiff requires the Emperor in temporal things, the Emperor [requires] the Supreme Pontiff in spiritual things

See also

• SS.

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• (santo): Sto., S.to
• (santa): Sta., S.ta

Noun

S. f

1. abbreviation of são
2. abbreviation of santo
3. abbreviation of santa

Further reading

• “S.”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Noun

S.

1. San, santo
2. Santa

Welsh

Proper noun

S. f (not mutable)

1. (grammar) abbreviation of Saesneg (“English”)