1
a
: dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity
a tree sacred to the gods
b
: devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose)
a fund sacred to charity
2
a
: worthy of religious veneration : holy
b
: entitled to reverence and respect
3
: of or relating to religion : not secular or profane
sacred music
4
archaic
: accursed
5
a
b
: highly valued and important
a sacred responsibility
sacredly
adverb
sacredness
noun
Examples of sacred in a Sentence
The burial site is sacred ground.
the sacred image of the Virgin Mary
the sacred pursuit of liberty
We have a sacred duty to find out the truth.
Freedom is a sacred right.
They'll make jokes about anything. Nothing is sacred to those guys.
I can't believe they would do that. Is nothing sacred?
Recent Examples on the Web
In honor of our Queen of the Damned, a bizarre bazaar dedicated to all things dark, creepy and vampiric materializes at festival headquarters on Sunday April 12th, the exact date marking the 50th anniversary of the publication of our sacred tome, Interview With The Vampire.
—
William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
To hold the nation together, the Trimmer treats the law not as impediment to his power but as a sacred trust and inheritance.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
In this category, accuracy is sacred and the rules, once established, are unbreakable.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
Whether by accident or design, Iran has repeatedly sent projectiles hurtling in the direction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which are sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, respectively.
—Marissa Newman, Bloomberg, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacred
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William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
To hold the nation together, the Trimmer treats the law not as impediment to his power but as a sacred trust and inheritance.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
In this category, accuracy is sacred and the rules, once established, are unbreakable.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
Whether by accident or design, Iran has repeatedly sent projectiles hurtling in the direction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which are sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, respectively.
—Marissa Newman, Bloomberg, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Cite this Entry
“Sacred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacred. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sacred
adjective
sa·cred
ˈsā-krəd 
1
: set apart in honor of someone (as a god)
a mountain sacred to Jupiter
2
: holy sense 3
the sacred name of Jesus
3
: religious entry 1 sense 2
sacred songs
4
: deserving respect or honor
a sacred right
sacredly
adverb
sacredness
noun
Etymology
Middle English sacred "sacred," derived from early French sacrer "to make holy, dedicate to God," from Latin sacrare (same meaning), from sacr-, sacer "sacred, holy" — related to consecrate, sacrifice
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