sacrosanct
adjective
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Contrary to the beliefs of some, language is not sacrosanct; rather, it is subject to constant modification based on the needs, experiences, and even whims of those who use it. Take the word sacrosanct itself, which likely comes from the Latin phrase sacro sanctus meaning “made holy by a sacred rite.” There’s a definite semantic softening from that to the “too important and respected to be changed or criticized” meaning of sacrosanct. But holy moly, has sanctus led to a whole bunch of other English words with truly pious flavor, from saint and sanctimony to sanctify and sanctuary. Sacrum (“a sacred rite”), whence came the sacro in sacro sanctus, is no slouch either, living on in English anatomy as the name for our pelvic vertebrae—a shortening of os sacrum, which literally means “holy bone.”
Examples of sacrosanct in a Sentence
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Idaho politics have traditionally held the independence of local government as sacrosanct.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025
Housing regulations are not sacrosanct, to be sure.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Records in each league were sacrosanct, untouched by the mixing of teams that never played each other before 1997.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacrosanct
Cite this Entry
“Sacrosanct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrosanct. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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