sacred

adjective sa·cred \ ˈsā-krəd \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Examples: sacred in a Sentence

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

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sacredly

adverb

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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

The despoiling of the sacred is in the DNA of Hereditary, an old-fashioned, effectively atmospheric chiller about a woman (Toni Collette) falling apart after the death of her mother.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "'Hereditary': Toni Collette is the main attraction of this old school horror movie layered thick with original ideas," 6 June 2018
In late July, she was eventually refused food and water because Ceus considered the food sacred.

— christine pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "Member of 'Apocalyptic' Group Flips on Other Suspects After 2 Girls Found Mummified in a Car," 30 May 2018
Fifty years ago, the ever-evolving national park idea –– that a nation’s most majestic and sacred places should be preserved for all time and for everyone –– broadened again.

— USA TODAY, "Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan warn: Beautiful, unspoiled landscapes are disappearing," 25 May 2018
What could have led state officials to put this furry American icon, which more than 200 tribal nations consider sacred, in its crosshairs?

— alex postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "There Could be a Grizzly Bear Trophy Hunt Around Yellowstone National Park This Fall," 25 May 2018
That visual culture is never truly sacred or profane, because the tradition is mixed.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Getting Into the Holy Spirit," 8 May 2018
For Ross, as for me, the church in the 1970s seemed to be abandoning the sacred and the sublime for the mundane and the modern.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Pope Francis Isn’t Catholicism’s Trump," 20 Apr. 2018
In large part, that’s because anti-abortionist’s argument hinges upon the notion that life is always sacred and ought never be taken.

— jennifer wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Abortion Is Not Murder," 13 Apr. 2018
But there was nothing really sacred, particularly controversial, or controversially symbolic about it in the context that it was purchased.

— connie wang, refinery29.com, "I’ve Written About Cultural Appropriation For 10 Years. Here’s What I Got Wrong.," 24 May 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.