refuge

1 of 2

noun

ref·​uge ˈre-(ˌ)fyüj How to pronounce refuge (audio)
 also  -(ˌ)fyüzh
1
: shelter or protection from danger or distress
2
: a place that provides shelter or protection
3
: something to which one has recourse in difficulty

refuge

2 of 2

verb

refuged; refuging

transitive verb

: to give refuge to

intransitive verb

: to seek or take refuge

Did you know?

Finding Refuge

The re- in refuge means basically "back" or "backward" rather than "again;" thus, a refugee is someone who is "fleeing backward". Refuge tends to appear with certain other words: you generally "seek refuge", "take refuge", or "find refuge". Religion may be a refuge from the woes of your life; a beautiful park may be a refuge from the noise of the city; and your bedroom may be a refuge from the madness of your family.

Examples of refuge in a Sentence

Noun hunting is strictly forbidden in the wildlife refuge Verb a nation with a long, honorable history of refuging political asylum seekers
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The fugitives had sought refuge on the 500-acre farm of Richard Garrett, who took them in under the assumption that they were wounded Confederate soldiers, not the already-infamous fugitives responsible for Lincoln’s death. Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 Excommunicated from New York, after penning several stories exposing his socialite friends’ darkest secrets, and banished to Los Angeles, Capote seeks refuge in the home of Carson. Meredith Woerner, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Rafah is a southern Gaza city bordering Egypt where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge as Israel storms through the enclave. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 At the same time, hundreds of thousands of women have left the country, seeking refuge abroad. Svitlana Vlasova, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Newcomer José, another Venezuelan, crossed illegally from Mexico into Arizona in 2021 to seek refuge. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 Rodents, drawn by the promise of shelter and sustenance, found refuge in the cozy confines of the house. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 In the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s people now seek refuge, an Israeli airstrike struck tents outside the Emirati hospital, killing 11 people and wounding about 50, including health workers, the Health Ministry said. Samy Magdy, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2024 Many of those – including about 610,000 children – have sought refuge in cramped shelters in Rafah, according to Save the Children. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Her students were in their own difficult circumstances, too – seeking refuge away from their homes, some in other countries. Kristina Hook, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2023 Conservationists, refuge biologists and Pacific Foods, a local business, came up with an ambitious plan to remove the carp, truck them to nearby Burns, and process them into fertilizer. April Reese, Discover Magazine, 8 Feb. 2016 Migratory birds will also be attracted to the hedges and trees, which will give them refuge on their journeys. Karen Lubeck, Town & Country, 8 Nov. 2022 For one, an evacuation was not necessarily a path to refuge in the United States, as many expected. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022 Targeted sanctions against the Kremlin and other state actors must be accompanied by support for those displaced by war, and the right to refuge must not be conditioned on one’s profession or degree of education. WIRED, 26 Aug. 2022 Cataño and Kammen say organizations like theirs are just Band-Aids that temporarily address the greater issue of lack of resources and access to refuge from heat. Rebecca Schneid, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2022 As the assault on Ukraine stretches into its second month, here’s what to know about Lviv, the Ukrainian city that’s become a pillar of support and refuge for a country at war. Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2022 Amid the flight to refuge, Ukraine and Russia are set to resume peace talks online Friday after limited progress in Istanbul earlier in the week. Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refuge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin refugium, from refugere to escape, from re- + fugere to flee — more at fugitive

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of refuge was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near refuge

Cite this Entry

“Refuge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refuge. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

refuge

noun
ref·​uge
ˈref-ˌyüj
1
: shelter or protection from danger or distress
2
: a place that provides shelter or protection
wildlife refuges

More from Merriam-Webster on refuge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!