1
as in holy
not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with
the sacred trust that exists between elected officials and the electorate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in divine
of, relating to, or being God
a sacred name that must not be uttered in vain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in religious
of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion
a sacred chalice
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4
as in venerated
set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God
the sacred bones of a saint
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5
as in venerable
deserving honor and respect especially by reason of age
the alumni procession at graduation is one of the college's most sacred traditions, dating back over a hundred years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sacred
This visual story captures solemn moments of faith, tradition and community as worshippers publicly observed one of Christianity’s most sacred Holy Week rituals.
—
Al Diaz, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The tribe is now grappling with the sudden loss of jobs, along with the dimming of hope that the culturally sacred fish will be restored to their ancestral waters.
—Rachel Becker, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Politics moralize and set certain beliefs apart as inviolable, while humor thrives in the gray areas between the sacred and the profane.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
There’s a simple, sacred joy that comes with baking cookies.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Al Diaz, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The tribe is now grappling with the sudden loss of jobs, along with the dimming of hope that the culturally sacred fish will be restored to their ancestral waters.
—Rachel Becker, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Politics moralize and set certain beliefs apart as inviolable, while humor thrives in the gray areas between the sacred and the profane.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
There’s a simple, sacred joy that comes with baking cookies.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sacred
Adjective
-
On Sunday, police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The day commemorates the return of Jesus to Jerusalem and is the week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection; the week is the holiest in the Christian calendar.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Such rhetoric echoes in official statements as well — in prayers for destruction, in invocations of divine sanction for war and in casual references to catastrophic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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According to polygenism, one of the most important constructions of race in the mid-nineteenth century, each of these distinct races had separate origins, either by divine creation or, in later interpretations shaped by Darwinian thought, by distinct evolutionary paths.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The measure advances Howard County Executive Calvin Ball's Interfaith Action Plan, which analyzed 12 areas in an effort to ensure that all religious communities receive compassion, justice and care.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Many Brazilian religious groups and social activists regularly have criticized betting companies for their role, as gambling in any other form is not legal in Brazil.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The venerated civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the UFW with Chavez and served as the union’s vice president, later came forward with her own accounts of abuse by Chavez.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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Not only because its casting displays a high degree of difficulty in finding actors who also sing and dance, including an exciting discovery in Miles Caton, but also because casting director Francine Maisler is a venerated figure within Hollywood.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Swedish firm Ulf Mejergren even submitted a plan for topping the venerable structure with a giant cross-shaped swimming pool (which, if nothing else, would presumably minimize future fire risk).—
David A. Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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These venerable Swiss houses represent peak legacy watchmaking, and their most expensive and rarest pieces tend to be deliciously complicated.—
Adam Erace,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The half-industrial, half-heavenly record was recorded on the brink of a real-life meltdown; the substances Lean had rapped about so brazenly during his adolescent mixtape era would nearly claim his life.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
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For countless generations, humanity’s skyward gaze has revealed a heavenly abyss.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Grizzlies were viewed as relatives by many tribes and played an important spiritual role.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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The friction comes as the technology continues to worry, on both spiritual and labor grounds, workers across Hollywood.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The solemn liturgical service included the Lord’s Passion from the Gospel of John.—
Holly Andres,
Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion with solemn services, ancient liturgical traditions like adoration of the cross, marking a central moment in Christian faith.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sacred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sacred. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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