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That which is sacrosanct is doubly sacred: the two Latin components underlying the word, "sacro" and "sanctus," were combined long ago to form a phrase meaning "hallowed by a sacred rite." Sacro means "by a sacred rite" and comes from "sacrum," a Latin noun that lives on in English anatomy as the name for our pelvic vertebrae-a shortening of "os sacrum," which literally means "holy bone." Sanctus means "sacred" and gave us "saint" and obvious words like "sanctimony," "sanctify," and "sanctuary."

Examples of sacrosanct in a Sentence

the government's most sacrosanct institutions The tradition is regarded as sacrosanct.

Recent Examples on the Web Universal service is also sacrosanct, so the USPS still runs mules to a village at the base of the Grand Canyon. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "How to Save the Post Office, Maybe," 26 Apr. 2021 For a group that calls itself pro-Israel, that was a notable break from the pro-Israel orthodoxy that American financial assistance to Israel is sacrosanct. — Ron Kampeas, sun-sentinel.com, "J Street conference: Abbas ready to ‘remove obstacles’ to relations with U.S.," 21 Apr. 2021 The weekly Morbidity and Mortality Reports, which offer public updates on scientists’ findings, had been considered sacrosanct for decades and untouchable by political appointees in the past. — BostonGlobe.com, "‘Yippee!!!’: Trump officials celebrated efforts to change CDC reports on coronavirus, e-mails show," 9 Apr. 2021 For those who think highway signs are sacrosanct, consider how many sports teams have logos on their uniforms. — Marc Bona, cleveland, "Goldhorn Brewery renaming part of I-90, crafting actual accordion glasses in unique promotions," 1 Apr. 2021 And yet, at least two major East Coast museums have already leapfrogged what American institutions once regarded as a sacrosanct boundary and sold pieces of art — or tried to, before an outcry stopped them. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Museums mull selling art after a brutal year — but doing so is complicated," 12 Mar. 2021 In his version, the Supreme Court needed to affirm strong rights to end Jim Crow, but sharpened this need into a universal model that made some rights sacrosanct while putting others in the shade. — Samuel Moyn, The New Republic, "Why Do Americans Have So Few Rights?," 9 Mar. 2021 Many Americans today, particularly those living in cities, consider the wolf to be nearly sacrosanct. — Star Tribune, "Lessons from Wisconsin's controversial wolf hunt," 6 Mar. 2021 Even Indiana’s uniforms, sacrosanct in some fans’ eyes, have undergone subtle tweaks in the time since. — Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, "Al Durham can’t determine his own legacy. He just hopes hard work will speak for itself.," 6 Mar. 2021

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