sacrificial

sac·ri·fi·cial | \ ˌsa-krə-ˈfi-shəl

How to pronounce sacrificial (audio)

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Definition of sacrificial

1 : of, relating to, of the nature of, or involving sacrifice

2 : of or relating to a metal that serves as an anode which is electrolytically consumed instead of another metal that is present

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Examples of sacrificial in a Sentence

their sacrificial acts of self-denial

Recent Examples on the Web An area for storing burnt animal bones from sacrificial offerings was also found in the temple, along with figurines, one of which depicts a human head. — Fox News, "Ancient 'New York' discovered in Israel as archaeologists uncover lost Bronze Age city," 7 Oct. 2019 Among the discoveries was an unusual ritual temple, burnt animal bones — evidence of sacrificial offerings — and a figurine of a human head. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Israeli archaeologists claim to discover ancient city," 6 Oct. 2019 Finally, dessert was a rich, goaty libum, a kind of sacrificial cheesecake the Romans would offer to household gods. — Meara Sharma, New York Times, "How to Eat Dinner Like the Last Citizens of Pompeii," 24 Dec. 2019 The altar itself holds a sprouting sapling and a Minoan symbol that probably represents the horns of a sacrificial ox. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archaeologists unearth gold-lined Mycenaean royal tombs in Greece," 21 Dec. 2019 That brings us to Option 3, which is some sort of sacrificial firing. — Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press, "What can Michigan football do to fix its Ohio State problem? There aren't many options," 2 Dec. 2019 The origins of these avian mummies have long been unclear, but now, a new genetic survey published in the journal PLoS ONE suggests the vast majority of sacrificial birds came from the wild. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "DNA Suggests Ancient Egypt’s Millions of Ibis Mummies Were Wild-Caught Birds," 14 Nov. 2019 But if all goes well, TEPCE’s sacrificial end could mark the beginning of a new era in decluttering Earth’s orbit—and preserving humanity’s access to space. — Jeremy Hsu, Scientific American, "Kilometer-Long Space-Tether Tests Fuel-Free Propulsion," 4 Nov. 2019 Theseus volunteers as one of the sacrificial victims and vows to slay the Minotaur. — Amaranta Sbardella, National Geographic, "The monstrous Minotaur riveted ancient Greece and Rome," 1 Oct. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near sacrificial

sacrifice one's life

sacrificial lamb

sacrificial theory

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Cite this Entry

“Sacrificial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrificial. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

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