sanctify

verb

sanc·​ti·​fy ˈsaŋ(k)-tə-ˌfī 

sanctified; sanctifying

transitive verb

1

: to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use : consecrate

2

: to free from sin : purify

3

a

: to impart or impute sacredness, inviolability, or respect to

b

: 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)

Synonyms of sanctify

• purge
• purify

Examples of sanctify in a Sentence

The priest sanctified their marriage.

The constitution sanctified the rights of the people.

Recent Examples on the Web

But months later, the campaign to sanctify Kirk appears to have backfired in some ways. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026

An overexposed photo shows Miralba from the torso up, looking into a white sky, with a ray of light almost sanctifying her face. —Camila Osorio, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026

Smith helped sanctify Bieber’s public rehabilitations, officiated his wedding, and is now godfather to the Biebers’ baby son, Jack Blues. —Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026

These are the kinds of faces O’Rourke foregrounds, similarly centering the quotidian to sanctifying effect. —Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English seintefien, sanctifien, from Anglo-French seintefier, sanctifier, from Late Latin sanctificare, from Latin sanctus sacred — more at saint

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sanctify

verb

sanc·​ti·​fy ˈsaŋ(k)-tə-ˌfī 

sanctified; sanctifying

1

: to set apart as sacred

2

: to make free from sin

sanctification

ˌsaŋ(k)-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun