sanctum

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noun sanc·tum \ ˈsaŋ(k)-təm \

Definition of sanctum

plural sanctums also sancta play \ˈsaŋ(k)-tə\

1 :a sacred place

2 :a place where one is free from intrusion

an editor's sanctum

the inner sanctums of research

See sanctum defined for English-language learners

See sanctum defined for kids

Examples of sanctum in a Sentence

Her office was her sanctum.
the sanctum of a church

Recent Examples of sanctum from the Web

Designed by K2S Architects, the soothing curves and cascading light in its inner sanctum offer a nondenominational refuge from the frenetic city that surrounds.

— karen mackenna, Fortune, "Why Helsinki Is Europe’s Must-see City for Design Lovers," 20 Aug. 2017
One, a woman, expressed a sense of women being unable to crack into the inner sanctum.

— tribune news service, OregonLive.com, "Silicon Valley venture capitalists battle sexual harassment with blacklists," 12 Aug. 2017
But he is always stymied by the chairman's staff – who not only don't see the president as important enough to let into the inner sanctum, but don't even show him the respect of remembering his name correctly.

— monika rębała, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why Poland's crisis may come down to a president and a puppet master," 11 Aug. 2017
Obtaining tissue from a judge’s inner sanctum was trickier.

— The Hive, "How Trump’s Embarrassing Wall Street Journal Interview Got Leaked," 2 Aug. 2017
When diners finally do gain entry to the Little Miss inner sanctum, the scene at the counter erases any lingering doubt.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink near Phoenix," 30 June 2017
Merchants peddling wares on Amazon have long used price-tracking robots, paid consultants and prayer to beat competitors, including Amazon itself, into that sanctum.

— Ángel gonzález, The Seattle Times, "Amazon gives book resellers new prominence, and publishers aren’t happy," 15 June 2017
But there Breitbart was, the outsider suddenly in the inner sanctum of American power, the unpopular kid unexpectedly crowned prom king, sought out by all those who’d once mocked him.

— alexander nazaryan, Newsweek, "Breitbart News, Donald Trump’s Pravda, Is in Crisis," 15 June 2017
There are times when our democracy depends on leaks to learn what is going on in the inner sanctums of Washington.

— julian zelizer, CNN, "Why Washington is leaking like a sieve," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sanctum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sanctum

Late Latin, from Latin, neuter of sanctus sacred

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1577

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sanctum Synonyms

Synonyms

sanctuary, shrine

Related Words

reliquary; martyry

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

SANCTUM Defined for English Language Learners

sanctum

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noun

Definition of sanctum for English Language Learners

: a place where you are not bothered by other people
: a holy or sacred place

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sanctum

Definition of sanctum

Examples of sanctum in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sanctum from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sanctum

sanctum Synonyms

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Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

SANCTUM Defined for English Language Learners

sanctum

Definition of sanctum for English Language Learners

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