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That which is sacrosanct is doubly sacred. Sacrosanct is derived from the Latin sacrosanctus, which is probably from the phrase sacro sanctus ("hallowed by a sacred rite"). The first element of this phrase, sacro, is the ablative case of sacrum ("a sacred rite") and means "by a sacred rite" (sacrum lives on in English anatomy as the name for our pelvic vertebrae—a shortening of os sacrum, which literally means "holy bone"). The second element, sanctus, is the past participle of the Latin sancire, which means "to make sacred." Sanctus has also given English the words saint, 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 Trust in healthcare is sacrosanct: the doctor-patient relationship is paramount, and everything must flow from that. — Seth Joseph, Forbes, 3 May 2022 While expressing sympathy for Russia’s security concerns in Eastern Europe, Beijing also has called for a cease-fire and affirmed its belief in the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity are sacrosanct—a position that Mr. Wang espouses. — Wenxin Fan, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2022 That doesn’t mean that the pendulum should swing and businesses should not return their teams to the office, but maybe five days a week isn’t sacrosanct. — Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2021 One of the pillars of medical ethics is that patient autonomy is sacrosanct. — WSJ, 3 Jan. 2022 Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. — Kara Fox, CNN, 26 Nov. 2021 Many former and current executives see it as sacrosanct, a key reason shoppers gravitate to the store and the linchpin of simplified operating model that increases profits. — Sarah Nassauer, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2021 The number 12 will always be sacrosanct in Foxborough and may never be worn on a jersey there again. — BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2021 Provisions to help combat climate change are also considered sacrosanct for many, although some of the proposals are expensive. — Jennifer Haberkorn, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2021 See More

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.