sacrament

noun

sac·​ra·​ment ˈsa-krə-mənt 

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

Sacrament

a

: communion sense 2a

b

: blessed sacrament

3

: something likened to a religious sacrament

saw voting as a sacrament of democracy

Examples of sacrament in a Sentence

They stood in line to receive the Sacrament.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Catholicism, confession is one of the seven sacraments. —Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026

King John opposed his choice, prompting Innocent to excommunicate the king and place England under interdict, meaning the English could not participate in church sacraments. —Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026

Who cared about popes and sacraments? —Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026

Sacrament meeting will remain 60 minutes, followed by two 25‑minute class periods separated by brief five-minute transition breaks. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sacrament

noun

sac·​ra·​ment ˈsak-rə-mənt 

1

: a religious act that is a sign or symbol of a spiritual existence

2

capitalized : blessed sacrament

sacramental

ˌsak-rə-ˈment-ᵊl

adjective

sacramentally

-ᵊl-ē

adverb