sacrifice

American  

[sak-ruh-fahys] / ˈsæk rəˌfaɪs /

noun

sacrifices plural

1. the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage.

2. the person, animal, or thing so offered.

3. the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

4. the thing so surrendered or devoted.

5. a loss incurred in selling something below its value.

6. Baseball. Also sacrifice hit a batted ball, specifically a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, that results in the batter being put out at first base while one or more base runners safely advance. S

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verb (used with object)

sacrifices, present (3rd person singular) sacrificed, past participle, past sacrificing present participle

1. to make a sacrifice or offering of.

2. to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.

   Synonyms:

   renounce, forgo, relinquish

3. to dispose of (goods, property, etc.) regardless of profit.

verb (used without object)

sacrifices, present (3rd person singular) sacrificed, past participle, past sacrificing present participle

1. Baseball. to make a sacrifice hit.

   He sacrificed in the top of the fourth with a fly ball that brought in the go-ahead run from third base.

2. to offer or make a sacrifice.

sacrifice British  

/ ˈsækrɪˌfaɪs /

noun

1. a surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil

2. a ritual killing of a person or animal with the intention of propitiating or pleasing a deity

3. a symbolic offering of something to a deity

4. the person, animal, or object surrendered, destroyed, killed, or offered

5. a religious ceremony involving one or more sacrifices

6. loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value

7. chess the act or an instance of sacrificing a piece

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verb

1. to make a sacrifice (of); give up, surrender, or destroy (a person, thing, etc)

2. chess to permit or force one's opponent to capture (a piece) freely, as in playing a combination or gambit

   he sacrificed his queen and checkmated his opponent on the next move

Usage

What does sacrifice mean? A sacrifice is something important or precious that is given up for the sake of gaining something or allowing something to happen that is considered more important, as in I had to work hard and make a lot of sacrifices to achieve success. The word can also refer to the habitual act of giving things up in this way, as in Achieving success requires hard work and sacrifice. Sacrifice can also be used as a verb meaning to give something up in this way, as in I had to work hard and sacrifice to achieve success. Sometimes, the word is used in situations involving surrendering something to prevent something bad from happening, as in She sacrificed herself to save us. In all of these cases, the thing being sacrificed can be tangible, like a valued object, or intangible, like time or health, as in, I would never sacrifice my health just to make more money. The word sacrifice is often used in the context of religion to refer to an offering or to the act of offering something to the god or gods being worshipped. Such a sacrifice might be an animal that is killed. The central figure of Christianity, Jesus, is viewed by Christians as having been a sacrifice for the sake of human salvation. The adjective sacrificial is used to describe things that involve or are given as sacrifices. Example: There is simply not enough money in the budget, so we’re all going to have to make sacrifices and give up some things that we’re used to having.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsacrifice
  noun
• presacrifice
  noun
• sacrificer
  noun
• supersacrifice
  noun
• nonsacrificing
  adjective
• sacrificeable
  adjective
• unsacrificeable
  adjective
• unsacrificed
  adjective
• unsacrificing
  adjective
• well-sacrificed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sacrifices
  plural

Participles

• sacrificing
  present
• sacrificed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sacrifice
  simple
• sacrifices
  simple
• have sacrificed
  perfect
• has sacrificed
  perfect
• am sacrificing
  progressive
• are sacrificing
  progressive
• is sacrificing
  progressive
• have been sacrificing
  perfect progressive
• has been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sacrificed
  simple
• had sacrificed
  perfect
• was sacrificing
  progressive
• were sacrificing
  progressive
• had been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sacrifice
  simple
• will have sacrificed
  perfect
• will be sacrificing
  progressive
• will have been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sacrifice

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English sacrifice, sacrifis(e), from Old French sacrefise, sacrefice, from Latin sacrificium “offering made to a deity, sacrifice,” equivalent to sacri- (combining form of sacer “holy, sacred”) + -fic-, combining form of facere “to make, build, construct” + -ium noun suffix; see origin at do ¹; see also -ium ( def. )

Explanation

A sacrifice is a loss or something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause. Parents sacrifice time and sleep to take care of their children, while kids might sacrifice TV time to hang out with mom and dad. Though no longer used only in a religious context, sacrifice comes from the Latin sacra and facere, meaning "to perform sacred rites." If you've studied ancient cultures like the Incas, you've probably heard of "human sacrifice," where a person is killed in a sacred ceremony to please the gods. But thankfully those kinds of sacrifices don't happen anymore.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sacrifice sacrifices sacrificed sacrificing

To put the final touches on the Dodgers’ offensive effort, Kyle Tucker hit a sacrifice fly and Tommy Edman hit a bases-clearing triple for a four-run Dodgers rally in the eighth inning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

This separation suggests that sacrifice at Shimao was carefully organized.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

The funeral was marked by the ritual sacrifice of two horses as part of the marapu rite, which most inhabitants of Sumba still follow, whether Christian or Muslim.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

It takes endless work and sacrifice, but this show makes her claws-out climb worth our attention.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

There was no idea as yet of the radiant gods of Olympus who would have loathed the hateful sacrifice.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

It just means you have to make even more sacrifices.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Until the early 1990s, the police kept a close eye on such funerals for fear of human sacrifices, according to the American anthropologist Janet Hoskins.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Lawyers sometimes get creative in measuring the sacrifices of the nonworking spouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

“Maybe I’m still too young for everything I’m going through right now. But soccer is something to be enjoyed. Opportunities will come your way if you’re willing to make sacrifices and all that.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Bob the Titan, he warned me there would be more sacrifices ahead.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

The findings also overturn a long-held idea about the people sacrificed near Shimao's East Gate.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

"He really sacrificed for the collective good. This is very important in my squad. In my opinion he played a great World Cup."

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

They saw messages from the divine in thunder and lightning, bird flight and the entrails of sacrificed animals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

“Who among them has given this much time and sacrificed a writing career for their people?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Mama and Baba have sacrificed so much for me to be here; I have no right to be ashamed.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

"If zinc oxide can be made to look better on more skin tones without sacrificing protection, it could help more people protect themselves from the sun's most dangerous effects."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

All those soft herbs bring freshness without sacrificing the comfort factor, making the dressing feel as creamy as ever but far less one-note.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Palantir’s competitive moat also lies in its ability to combine and organize data for customers “without sacrificing their integrity, privacy and security,” according to Luria.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

“Lineage is committed to the fastest cleanup that is possible without sacrificing health, safety, and regulatory compliance,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

“You mean was it worth it, sacrificing so much, leaving so much behind to go and try to save Haiti?”

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat