shrine

noun \ ˈshrīn , especially Southern ˈsrīn \

Definition of shrine

1 a :a case, box, or receptacle; especially :one in which sacred relics (such as the bones of a saint) are deposited

b :a place in which devotion is paid to a saint or deity :sanctuary

c :a niche containing a religious image

2 :a receptacle (such as a tomb) for the dead

3 :a place or object hallowed by its associations

See shrine defined for English-language learners

See shrine defined for kids

Examples of shrine in a Sentence

the shrine of Saint Mary
They erected a shrine to the saint.
tourists visiting the shrines of American independence
The writer's house has become a shrine to his fans.

Recent Examples of shrine from the Web

The group visited the ancient Senso-ji Temple and a Shinto shrine but ate all their meals at the hotel.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "U of L's Jeff Walz and Asia Durr recap trip to Tokyo with USA Basketball," 21 Aug. 2017
The Österreichisches Freilichtsmuseum is a shrine to traditional village life and craft culture.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "Seven Must-See Museums in Austria," 14 Aug. 2017
Jordan, the custodian of the Aqsa shrine in Jerusalem, helped resolved the crisis involving the mosque, set off when Israel placed metal detectors, cameras and other security measures at entrances to the compound.

— isabel kershner, New York Times, "Jordan’s King, Spurred by Jerusalem Mosque Crisis, Meets With Palestinian Leader," 7 Aug. 2017
Christianity arrived here in Roman times, and since then, followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox church have built scores of elaborate monasteries and shrines, including those carved into the face of a cliff at Tigray or sunken at Lalilbela.

— mark ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "Best Places to Travel in September," 1 Aug. 2017
Just beyond the 1908 Mission Revival house lies a full acre of lush green lawn adorned with pillared steps and a traditional Japanese shrine that offers a more chill socialization scene.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
An entire wall houses a colorful patchwork of matchbooks from Kansas City businesses; one corner holds a shrine to Pabst Blue Ribbon beer — his favorite — and another features stacks of paint cans from his grandfather’s business, Minnesota Paints.

— jacob gedetsis, kansascity, "This couple’s KC-themed collection is so huge they bought a second house to hold it," 14 July 2017
The attack marks the deadliest assault on Hindu pilgrims in the region since 2000, when 30 people were killed during the Amarnath Yatra, an annual religious pilgrimage to a cave shrine in the Himalayas.

— aria bendix, The Atlantic, "Militants Kill Seven Hindu Pilgrims in Kashmir Attack," 10 July 2017
Between them, IS and the coalition have destroyed too many shrines and mosques to leave much of historic value, including the al-Nuri mosque dating back to Crusader times from where Mr Baghdadi proclaimed himself caliph.

— The Economist, "Islamic State nears its end," 5 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of shrine

Middle English, from Old English scrīn, from Latin scrinium case, chest

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

shrine Synonyms

Synonyms

sanctuary, sanctum

Related Words

reliquary; martyry

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

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

shrine

verb

Definition of shrine

shrined; shrining

transitive verb

:enshrine

First Known Use of shrine

14th century

SHRINE Defined for English Language Learners

shrine

noun

Definition of shrine for English Language Learners

: a place connected with a holy person or event where people go to worship
: a place that people visit because it is connected with someone or something that is important to them