sanctity

noun

sanc·​ti·​ty ˈsaŋ(k)-tə-tē 

plural sanctities

1

: holiness of life and character : godliness

2

a

: the quality or state of being holy or sacred : inviolability

b

sanctities plural : sacred objects, obligations, or rights

Synonyms

• blessedness
• devoutness
• godliness
• holiness
• piety
• piousness
• sainthood
• saintliness
• saintship

Examples of sanctity in a Sentence

the sanctity of the elderly nun shone through in her every word and gesture

Recent Examples on the Web

Two weeks ago, Mr. Noboa took the extraordinary step of arresting an Ecuadorean politician who had taken refuge at the Mexican Embassy in Quito, in what experts called a violation of an international treaty on the sanctity of diplomatic posts. —Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024

Wouldn’t someone who believes in the sanctity of student speech allow a protest to continue at a school function, even if that protest took place on private property? —Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2024

Data Minimization: The Waltz Of Privacy Preservation Imagine data minimization as a graceful waltz—each step carefully measured and each move a deliberate act to preserve the sanctity of personal information. —Kannan Venkatraman, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

The law was first introduced in March last year by a lawmaker who said that homosexuality was becoming pervasive and threatening the sanctity of the Ugandan family. —Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Talking heads Rachel Maddow, Jonathan Capehart, Lawrence O’Donnell, Joy Reid, Joe Scarborough, and Chuck Todd complained on the air about McDaniel, as if her presence would sully the uniformity — and sanctity — of their tawdry partisan terrain. —Armond White, National Review, 29 Mar. 2024

Richard Donner’s movie is irreverent without being nasty, preserving the sanctity of Dickens’ original tale while giving it a quintessentially ‘80s spin. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2024

These systems are violating the sanctity of the person. —Frank H. McCourt Jr., Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024

The risk Apple is highlighting is that by technical breaking the sanctity of end-to-end encryption, technology providers lose the primary defense against scope creep. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English saunctite, from Anglo-French sainteté, from Latin sanctitat-, sanctitas, from sanctus sacred

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sanctity

noun

sanc·​ti·​ty ˈsaŋ(k)-tət-ē 

plural sanctities

1

: holiness sense 1, saintliness

2

: the quality or state of being holy or sacred