immolate

verb

im·​mo·​late ˈi-mə-ˌlāt How to pronounce immolate (audio)
immolated; immolating

transitive verb

1
: to kill or destroy especially by fire
2
: to offer in sacrifice
especially : to kill as a sacrificial victim
immolator noun

Examples of immolate in a Sentence

a man who immolated himself as an act of protest a ceremony in which they immolated their cherished possessions so that the gods would send rain
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The willingness to self-immolate, often in isolation, under heavy surveillance, and with no expectation of immediate results, foreshadows how far Tibetans may be prepared to go to challenge Chinese rule. Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025 Eventually, their own stars would have died, immolating or jettisoning them in the process. Robin George Andrews, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2025 Her ex-boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner) arrives just in time to witness Rose, now possessed, immolate herself, thereby transferring the curse to him. Jane Lacroix, People.com, 15 May 2025 Three factions, three agendas, one nestled inside the next like a Russian doll: garden-variety Trumpian power-lust and piracy, covering over a deeper plan to radically winnow down the government, covering over a still deeper fever dream of completely immolating the government. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for immolate

Word History

Etymology

Latin immolatus, past participle of immolare to sprinkle with meal before sacrificing, sacrifice, from in- + mola sacrificial barley cake, literally, millstone; akin to Latin molere to grind — more at meal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of immolate was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immolate. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

immolate

verb
im·​mo·​late ˈim-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce immolate (audio)
immolated; immolating
: to kill as a sacrifice
immolation
ˌim-ə-ˈlā-shən
noun
immolator noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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