Main Entry:

sac·ra·ment

Pronunciation:

\ˈsa-krə-mənt\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English sacrement, sacrament, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin sacramentum, from Latin, oath of allegiance, obligation, from sacrare to consecrate

Date:

13th century

1 a: a Christian rite (as baptism or the Eucharist) that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality b: a religious rite or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament2capitalized a: communion 2a b: blessed sacrament3: something likened to a religious sacrament <saw voting as a sacrament of democracy>