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sacrament

noun sac·ra·ment \ ˈsa-krə-mənt \
|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of sacrament

1 a : a Christian rite (such as baptism or the Eucharist) that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality
b : a religious rite or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament
2 capitalized
a : communion 2a
b : blessed sacrament
3 : something likened to a religious sacrament
  • saw voting as a sacrament of democracy

See sacrament defined for English-language learners

See sacrament defined for kids

Examples of sacrament in a Sentence

  1. They stood in line to receive the Sacrament.

Recent Examples of sacrament from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sacrament.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sacrament

Middle English sacrement, sacrament, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin sacramentum, from Latin, oath of allegiance, obligation, from sacrare to consecrate

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

Phrases Related to SACRAMENT

Related Phrases

SACRAMENT Defined for English Language Learners

sacrament

noun

Definition of sacrament for English Language Learners

  • : an important Christian ceremony (such as baptism or marriage)

  • the Sacrament : the bread and wine that are eaten and drunk during the Christian ceremony of Communion

SACRAMENT Defined for Kids

sacrament

noun sac·ra·ment \ ˈsa-krə-mənt \

Definition of sacrament for Students

: a Christian religious act or ceremony that is considered especially sacred

Learn More about sacrament

  1. Spanish Central: Translation of sacrament Nglish: Translation of sacrament for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sacrament for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sacrament

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