sacred

adjective sa·cred \ ˈsā-krəd \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of sacred

1 a : dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity

a tree sacred to the gods

b : devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose)

a fund sacred to charity

2 a : worthy of religious veneration : holy

b : entitled to reverence and respect

3 : of or relating to religion : not secular or profane

sacred music

4 archaic : accursed

5 a : unassailable, inviolable

b : highly valued and important

a sacred responsibility

—

sacredly

adverb

—

sacredness

noun

See sacred defined for English-language learners

See sacred defined for kids

Examples of sacred in a Sentence

The burial site is sacred ground.
the sacred image of the Virgin Mary
the sacred pursuit of liberty
We have a sacred duty to find out the truth.
Freedom is a sacred right.
They'll make jokes about anything. Nothing is sacred to those guys.
I can't believe they would do that. Is nothing sacred?

Recent Examples of sacred from the Web

Initially, city officials had envisioned a design featuring two stark obelisks, which would twist over the bombing sites and include simple sculptures at the top, representing the sacred.

— david abel, BostonGlobe.com, "Islands up north? In New Brunswick, there’s plenty to explore," 12 Apr. 2018
Point 4: Problem-solving alone in tennis isn’t sacred to me.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Did David Ferrer’s Davis Cup Triumph Doom ITF Proposal for Revamp?," 11 Apr. 2018
Torah Study: Every Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. The clergy lead a spirited exploration and discussion of tradition's sacred text.

— Courant Community, "Community," 10 Apr. 2018
By this Yom Hazikaron on April 17-18, each one of the 23,632 should have at least one kind or sacred act done in his or her memory.

— deborah fineblum, Jewish Journal, "Seventy years of sacrifice: A global salute to Israel's fallen soldiers," 3 Apr. 2018
Easter has long been a mix of the secular and the sacred, of candy, flowers and bunnies, symbols of spring and of church and family tradition.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "Easter Sunday: Christians share 'why we believe'," 1 Apr. 2018
But, Easter Sunday, as it's known in Christianity, is actually considered the most important and sacred Sunday of the entire year.

— refinery29.com, "This Is The Reason Why People Celebrate Easter," 27 Mar. 2018
BET’s statement of the event being ‘an intimate conversation in a sacred space of sisterhood and fellowship’ does not hold water in any newsroom.

— terrell jermaine starr, The Root, "NABJ Backs Robin Givhan Over Michelle Obama Piece," 25 Mar. 2018
Male observant Sikhs often cover their heads with turbans — which are considered sacred — and refrain from shaving their beards.

— chris fuchs /, NBC News, "Settlement reached in NYPD religious facial hair policy lawsuit," 15 Jan. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of sacred

Middle English, from past participle of sacren to consecrate, from Anglo-French sacrer, from Latin sacrare, from sacr-, sacer sacred; akin to Latin sancire to make sacred, Hittite šaklāi- rite

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

sacred Synonyms

Other Christian Religious Terms

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

SACRED Defined for English Language Learners

sacred

adjective

Definition of sacred for English Language Learners

: worthy of religious worship : very holy
: relating to religion
: highly valued and important : deserving great respect

SACRED Defined for Kids

sacred

adjective sa·cred \ ˈsā-krəd \

Definition of sacred for Students

1 : holy 1

a sacred shrine

2 : religious 2

sacred songs

3 : deserving to be respected and honored

Freedom is a sacred right.

Word Root of sacred

The Latin word sacer, meaning “holy,” and the related word sānctus, also meaning “holy,” give us the roots sacr and sanct. Words from the Latin sacer or sānctus have something to do with holiness. A sanctuary is a holy place. Anything sacred is holy. To sacrifice is to dedicate as a holy offering to a god.