Definition of sanctify
sanctified
;sanctifying
transitive verb
1 : to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use : consecrate
2 : to free from sin : purify
3a : to impart or impute sacredness, inviolability, or respect tob : to give moral or social sanction to
4 : to make productive of holiness or piety observe the day of the sabbath, to sanctify it — Deuteronomy 5:12 (Douay Version)
From the M-W Editors
Examples of sanctify in a Sentence
The priest sanctified their marriage.
The constitution sanctified the rights of the people.
Recent Examples of sanctify from the Web
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In June of 2013, Unesco, the United Nation’s cultural arm, designated the mountain a World Heritage site—recognizing the peak as a defining symbol of the nation’s identity—and more or less sanctifying the climb as a bucket-list experience.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sanctify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of sanctify
Middle English seintefien, sanctifien, from Anglo-French seintefier, sanctifier, from Late Latin sanctificare, from Latin sanctus sacred — more at saint
Other Christian Religious Terms
SANCTIFY Defined for English Language Learners
sanctify
playDefinition of sanctify for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) holy
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: to give official acceptance or approval to (something)
Learn More about sanctify
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See words that rhyme with sanctify Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sanctify Spanish Central: Translation of sanctify Nglish: Translation of sanctify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sanctify for Arabic speakers
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