the government's most sacrosanct institutions
The tradition is regarded as sacrosanct.
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.
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."
First Known Use: 1601
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearblessed (also blest), consecrate, consecrated, hallowed, holy, sacred, sanctified;
adored, enshrined, glorified, revered, venerated, worshipped (also worshiped);
ceremonial, liturgical, priestly, religious, ritual, sacramental, spiritual;
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sacrosanct Spanish Central: Translation of sacrosanct Nglish: Translation of sacrosanct for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sacrosanct for Arabic speakers
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