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
The locals know it as the sacred place where ancient kahuna po'o (high priests) meditated and received wisdom.
—
Sunny Fitzgerald, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2026
Your sanctuary is sacred, Libra.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The stories of these confident women are found in the Hebrew Bible, the sacred text of Judaism, which also forms half of the Christian Bible.
—Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
The cypress is a sacred tree in Zoroastrianism, and the felling of the Kashmar cypress by invading Muslims symbolizes the end of ancient Persia.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Sunny Fitzgerald, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2026
Your sanctuary is sacred, Libra.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The stories of these confident women are found in the Hebrew Bible, the sacred text of Judaism, which also forms half of the Christian Bible.
—Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
The cypress is a sacred tree in Zoroastrianism, and the felling of the Kashmar cypress by invading Muslims symbolizes the end of ancient Persia.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sacred
Adjective
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Weeks later and about 90 blocks south, fellow Tony winner Matthew Broderick began playing the pious con man that causes holy hell in Lucas Hnath and Sarah Benson’s gender-bending revival.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Some holy texts relocated to safety On the outside of the Beth Israel synagogue, which serves some 150 families, boards cover windows that stretch nearly from floor to ceiling, and soot stains concrete.—
Jason Carroll,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Imagine this velvety shade wrapping the walls and ceiling of a powder room or bedroom—divine!—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
-
For seasoned sky-watchers (and hopeful first-timers), this is one of those nights where being outside, looking north and trusting in the power of divine timing could pay off.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Christians were imprisoned or killed for practicing their faith, and religious practice was confined to the Chinese nationalist Three-Self Church under strict government control.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
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There is no denying that Friend was a religious zealot who had some very extreme ideas (which will be explored in this book).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Gerlach has been charged with 26 counts of burglary and criminal trespassing, in addition to abuse of a corpse and desecration and theft or sale of venerated objects.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Gwynne died in Manhattan in 1948, probably never knowing his cocktail would go on to become a venerated classic.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
15 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Oracles are by their nature enigmatic, obscure, gnomic, a mode that the aleatory perambulations of the Eureka engine would seem predisposed toward producing, but narrative also has a venerable tradition of being mechanically generated, despite the seeming complexity of plot.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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Following a delay last year, venerable game studio Bungie's first post-Destiny shooter has finally set a launch date.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Zesty orange biscuits lay atop a bubbling mixture of tart plums, brown sugar, and five-spice in this oh-so-heavenly cobbler.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
20 Jan. 2026
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Her elder talks about the Good Lord bringing her up to His heavenly home when the times comes.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Thematically, this movie is about flight and transportation — both the physical flights that one takes, but also the emotional and spiritual flights.—
Jason Parham,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Aaron, who lost more than 200 pounds following a near-death experience in 2021, has described his previous health scare as a spiritual wake-up call.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Lent is one of the five seasons on the Catholic liturgical calendar, along with Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Ordinary Time.—
Jordan Green,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
14 Jan. 2026
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Grace was an acolyte at Lord's Chapel, wise in the ways of liturgical response.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sacred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sacred. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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