sacrifice

1 of 2

noun

sac·ri·fice ˈsa-krə-ˌfīs

also -fəs,

or -ˌfīz

Synonyms of sacrifice next

: an act of offering to a deity something precious

especially : the killing of a victim on an altar

: something offered in sacrifice

: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else

: something given up or lost

the sacrifices made by parents

: loss

goods sold at a sacrifice

: sacrifice bunt

sacrifice

2 of 2

verb

sacrificed; sacrificing

transitive verb

: to offer as a sacrifice

: to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end

: to sell at a loss

: to advance (a base runner) by means of a sacrifice bunt

: to kill (an animal) as part of a scientific experiment

intransitive verb

: to make or perform the rites of a sacrifice

: to make a sacrifice hit in baseball

sacrificer noun

Example Sentences

Noun The war required everyone to make sacrifices. No sacrifice is too great when it comes to her children. He made many personal sacrifices to provide help to the city's homeless people. The war required much sacrifice from everyone. a place where priests performed human sacrifices in ancient rituals The villagers hoped the gods would accept their sacrifice. The goat was offered as a sacrifice. The runner went to second base on a sacrifice. Verb She's had to sacrifice a lot for her family. He sacrificed his personal life in order to get ahead in his career. I want to follow a diet that is healthful without sacrificing taste. She was able to ask for their help without sacrificing her dignity. She was willing to suffer, sacrifice, and work for success. a place where people were sacrificed in ancient rituals He sacrificed in his first at bat. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Their untimely demise is a sacrifice at the altar of this harrowing ride. —

Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2023 However, Leonard says that the apocalypse has not been prevented because Wen wasn’t a willing sacrifice. —

Jordan Moreau, Variety, 3 Feb. 2023 Receiving information on a tablet doesn’t need to be a sacrifice. —

Beth Sanner, CNN, 21 Jan. 2023 But this is the sacrifice a startup makes to test out a drone operation near an urban area. —

Byjessica Mathews, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2023 For Tom, letting go of that music during our relationship’s early years was a relatively easy sacrifice. —

Julie Buckner Armstrong, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2022 So maybe bending the knee to Aegon is a sacrifice Rhaenyra should make for the greater good. —

Brendan Morrow, The Week, 24 Oct. 2022 Each disappearance represents not only a loss for the landscape, but also is a sacrifice of the genetic diversity those populations contained. —

Sarah Kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, 14 July 2022 Being away for 10 weeks was a sacrifice for both Weems and his family. —

Carrie Napoleon, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2022

Verb

By utilizing state-of-the-art metabolic boosting ingredients, these gummies guarantee weight loss results without having to sacrifice enjoyment. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023 Early on in the film, Andrew’s family’s cabin getaway is invaded by Dave Bautista’s Leonard and three other strangers who insist that Andrew and Eric must sacrifice a family member in order to stave off the apocalypse. —

Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2023 This folding kitchen helper gives you all the benefits of a learning tower without having to sacrifice hard-to-find space. —

Jamie Spain, Good Housekeeping, 30 Jan. 2023 Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka also did not have to sacrifice a coveted first-round pick for Hachimura. —

Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023 Want to make a statement without having to sacrifice comfort? —

Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 24 Jan. 2023 Yes, the Pac-12 will likely have to sacrifice visibility and cut a deal with Amazon to hit the financial number. —

Dallas News, 19 Jan. 2023 Historically, controlling epidemics required that some individuals sacrifice freedom for the collective health of the community. —

Greg Ip, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2022 China's rulers believe that individuals must sacrifice their liberties, privacy, and dignity for the greater good — as defined by the party. —

Peter Weber, The Week, 4 Oct. 2022 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin sacrificium, from sacr-, sacer + facere to make — more at do

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of sacrifice was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sacrifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrifice. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sacrifice

1 of 2 noun

sac·ri·fice ˈsak-rə-ˌfīs

-fəs

: an act of offering something precious to God or a god

especially : the killing of a victim on an altar

: something offered in sacrifice

: a giving up of something especially for the sake of someone else

also : something so given up

: loss of profit

sell goods at a sacrifice

sacrifice

2 of 2 verb

sac·ri·fice

ˈsak-rə-ˌfīs,

-ˌfīz

sacrificed; sacrificing

: to offer or perform as a sacrifice

: to give up for the sake of something else

: to sell at a loss

: to make a sacrifice hit

sacrificer noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sacrifice "the act of offering something to God or a god," from early French sacrifice (same meaning), from Latin sacrificium "sacrifice," from sacr-, sacer "sacred" and -ficium, from facere "to do, make" — related to sacred