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
Initially, things had been calm in her Pétion-Ville neighborhood, Allen said, with family coming to seek refuge from the heavy gunfire. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024 Mary, Queen of Scots found refuge in England from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, after being forced to flee Scotland in 1567. Kerry J. Byrne Fox News, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2024 The Ministry of Health in Gaza said about 3,000 people were seeking refuge and that those attempting to leave were being targeted by snipers and fire from helicopters. Lauren Izso, Abeer Salman and Tim Lister, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 The administration has been pressuring Israel not to attack the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have sought refuge, and to enable more aid to enter the territory. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Tensions between the United States and Israel have flared over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to invade the city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge amid the violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 The film follows a young Furiosa as she is ripped from her refuge in the Green Place of Many Mothers and, for the first time, forced to face the insanity of the desolate world beyond. Jack Dunn, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Find a comfortable refuge at Island View Cottages, then spend a few days exploring town and the surrounding beauty. 05 of 10 Venice This Florida Gulf Coast town's name is no mistake. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 The exodus, which has grown exponentially over the past several years, is a pattern that’s been repeating itself across most California counties for some time, even in inland areas that were once a refuge for residents priced out of coastal California. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 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 29 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

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