sac·ri·fice
ˈsa-krə-ˌfīs 
also -fəs,
or -ˌfīz
1
: an act of offering to a deity something precious
especially
: the killing of a victim on an altar
2
: something offered in sacrifice
3
a
: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
b
: something given up or lost
the sacrifices made by parents
4
: loss
goods sold at a sacrifice
5
sacrificed; sacrificing
1
: to offer as a sacrifice
2
: to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end
3
: to sell at a loss
4
: to advance (a base runner) by means of a sacrifice bunt
5
: to kill (an animal) as part of a scientific experiment
1
: to make or perform the rites of a sacrifice
2
: to make a sacrifice hit in baseball
sacrificer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of sacrifice in a Sentence
Noun
The war required everyone to make sacrifices.
No sacrifice is too great when it comes to her children.
He made many personal sacrifices to provide help to the city's homeless people.
The war required much sacrifice from everyone.
a place where priests performed human sacrifices in ancient rituals
The villagers hoped the gods would accept their sacrifice.
The goat was offered as a sacrifice.
The runner went to second base on a sacrifice.
Verb
She's had to sacrifice a lot for her family.
He sacrificed his personal life in order to get ahead in his career.
I want to follow a diet that is healthful without sacrificing taste.
She was able to ask for their help without sacrificing her dignity.
She was willing to suffer, sacrifice, and work for success.
a place where people were sacrificed in ancient rituals
He sacrificed in his first at bat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Gassiott, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
But there’s more to Mariko’s climactic sacrifice than meets the eye.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
His decision marks the end of a stunning transformation for Loki, from selfish and self-absorbed to someone willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
This poem reflects a deep longing for Iran, mentioning various cities and regions while also alluding to the sacrifices and spiritual heritage of the Baha’i faith.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Given their collective sacrifices, both the Iraqi and the American people deserve to see continued benefits from this partnership.
—Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2024
Only the proper rituals could stave off calamity; human sacrifices were involved.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2024
That gain, it is argued, would justify the sacrifice of the minority who became unemployable.
—Larry Elder, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
Most of the news coverage has explained the shift as an unavoidable sacrifice for Native rights and sensibilities, a zero-sum game in which museum-goers and school field trips are the necessary losers.
—Kathleen Duval, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
The company is simplifying the ready-to-assembly experience by developing an easy-to-assemble system that will drastically reduce assembly time, without sacrificing quality or design.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
He's sacrificed on the altar of regional political strategy.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024
Hamas would rather sacrifice the civilian population of Gaza on the altar of its genocidal ambition and suicidal desires.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024
Nick Allen, the No. 9 hitter, was called upon to sacrifice Butler to second.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Best for: Professionals who prioritize ergonomics and need a chair that can support them through long workdays without sacrificing comfort.
—Bethany Braun-Silva, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Families of people with dementia must either sacrifice their personal well-being and livelihoods to care for a loved one at home, hire a professional home health aide, which costs from US$30 to $50 an hour, or place the loved one in a nursing home.
—Maria J Silveira, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024
Silver & Riley Classic New Yorker Bag $1,095 Silver & Riley
This buzzy bag brand—founded by Lola Banjo in 2019—has emerged as a go-to for people looking for attainable luxury without sacrificing style or quality.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
Stevenson says behind them are the struggles and commitments and sacrifices of another 6 million who never saw freedom.
—Kyle Gassiott, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
But there’s more to Mariko’s climactic sacrifice than meets the eye.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
His decision marks the end of a stunning transformation for Loki, from selfish and self-absorbed to someone willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
This poem reflects a deep longing for Iran, mentioning various cities and regions while also alluding to the sacrifices and spiritual heritage of the Baha’i faith.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Given their collective sacrifices, both the Iraqi and the American people deserve to see continued benefits from this partnership.
—Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2024
Only the proper rituals could stave off calamity; human sacrifices were involved.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2024
That gain, it is argued, would justify the sacrifice of the minority who became unemployable.
—Larry Elder, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
Most of the news coverage has explained the shift as an unavoidable sacrifice for Native rights and sensibilities, a zero-sum game in which museum-goers and school field trips are the necessary losers.
—Kathleen Duval, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
Some Okinawans feel that Japan and the U.S. have colonized and sacrificed them.
—Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
The company is simplifying the ready-to-assembly experience by developing an easy-to-assemble system that will drastically reduce assembly time, without sacrificing quality or design.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
He's sacrificed on the altar of regional political strategy.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2024
Hamas would rather sacrifice the civilian population of Gaza on the altar of its genocidal ambition and suicidal desires.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024
Nick Allen, the No. 9 hitter, was called upon to sacrifice Butler to second.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Best for: Professionals who prioritize ergonomics and need a chair that can support them through long workdays without sacrificing comfort.
—Bethany Braun-Silva, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Families of people with dementia must either sacrifice their personal well-being and livelihoods to care for a loved one at home, hire a professional home health aide, which costs from US$30 to $50 an hour, or place the loved one in a nursing home.
—Maria J Silveira, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024
Silver & Riley Classic New Yorker Bag $1,095 Silver & Riley
This buzzy bag brand—founded by Lola Banjo in 2019—has emerged as a go-to for people looking for attainable luxury without sacrificing style or quality.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sacrifice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to sacrifice
Dictionary Entries Near sacrifice
Cite this Entry
“Sacrifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrifice. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sacrifice
1 of 2 noun
sac·ri·fice
ˈsak-rə-ˌfīs
-fəs
1
: an act of offering something precious to God or a god
especially
: the killing of a victim on an altar
2
: something offered in sacrifice
3
: a giving up of something especially for the sake of someone else
also
: something so given up
4
: loss of profit
sell goods at a sacrifice
sacrifice
2 of 2 verb
sac·ri·fice
ˈsak-rə-ˌfīs,
-ˌfīz
sacrificed; sacrificing
1
: to offer or perform as a sacrifice
2
: to give up for the sake of something else
3
: to sell at a loss
4
: to make a sacrifice hit
sacrificer
noun
Etymology
Noun
Middle English sacrifice "the act of offering something to God or a god," from early French sacrifice (same meaning), from Latin sacrificium "sacrifice," from sacr-, sacer "sacred" and -ficium, from facere "to do, make" — related to sacred
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