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
b
: highly valued and important
a sacred responsibility
sacredly
adverb
sacredness
noun
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 on the Web
In 1908, the university’s first female student discovers, through the lens of photography, sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants.
—
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Indigenous cultures in the region placed high value in cacao as a sacred crop, exchanged as a form of currency and made into a frothy, warm bitter beverage drank at key events in social and religious life, Chocolate Affairs Magazine said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 25 Sep. 2025
What To Know The Lawsuit A yeshiva is a Jewish religious school, typically for boys, that focuses on intensive study of sacred texts such as the Torah and Talmud, with varying amounts of general secular education depending on the community.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
By the early post-World War II period, the demographic cohort most likely to rebel against authority—namely, youth—had been molded by Soviet institutions in which the revolutionary teachings of Marxism-Leninism had achieved the status of sacred canon.
—Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacred
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Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Indigenous cultures in the region placed high value in cacao as a sacred crop, exchanged as a form of currency and made into a frothy, warm bitter beverage drank at key events in social and religious life, Chocolate Affairs Magazine said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 25 Sep. 2025
What To Know The Lawsuit A yeshiva is a Jewish religious school, typically for boys, that focuses on intensive study of sacred texts such as the Torah and Talmud, with varying amounts of general secular education depending on the community.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
By the early post-World War II period, the demographic cohort most likely to rebel against authority—namely, youth—had been molded by Soviet institutions in which the revolutionary teachings of Marxism-Leninism had achieved the status of sacred canon.
—Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Cite this Entry
“Sacred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacred. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sacred
adjective
sa·cred
ˈsā-krəd 
1
: set apart in honor of someone (as a god)
a mountain sacred to Jupiter
2
: holy sense 3
the sacred name of Jesus
3
: religious entry 1 sense 2
sacred songs
4
: deserving respect or honor
a sacred right
sacredly
adverb
sacredness
noun
Etymology
Middle English sacred "sacred," derived from early French sacrer "to make holy, dedicate to God," from Latin sacrare (same meaning), from sacr-, sacer "sacred, holy" — related to consecrate, sacrifice
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