sanctum
noun
sanc·tum
ˈsaŋ(k)-təm 
plural sanctums also sancta
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
Examples of sanctum in a Sentence
Her office was her sanctum.
the sanctum of a church
Recent Examples on the Web
What was once the sanctum of private thought had a microphone.
—
Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Mario comes upon Bowser’s sanctum and sees that he’s turned his castle into the site of an all-night rager.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025
But to assume the weekend was all the sanctum of the media landed gentry would be to assume wrong.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025
Daniel, his namesake establishment on the Upper East Side, a colonnaded sanctum of caviar and white linen, has remained both gastronomically and culturally relevant since its opening, in 1993.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctum
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Mario comes upon Bowser’s sanctum and sees that he’s turned his castle into the site of an all-night rager.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025
But to assume the weekend was all the sanctum of the media landed gentry would be to assume wrong.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025
Daniel, his namesake establishment on the Upper East Side, a colonnaded sanctum of caviar and white linen, has remained both gastronomically and culturally relevant since its opening, in 1993.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctum
Cite this Entry
“Sanctum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctum. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sanctum
noun
sanc·tum
ˈsaŋ(k)-təm
plural sanctums also sancta
-tə
1
: a sacred place
2
: a place where one is free from being bothered
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share