sake

¹ American  

[seyk] / seɪk /

noun

1. cause, account, interest, or benefit.

   for the sake of all students.

   Synonyms:

   respect, consideration, regard

2. purpose or end.

   for the sake of appearances.

   Synonyms:

   reason

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sake ² American  

[sah-kee] / ˈsɑ ki /

Or saké,

noun

1. a Japanese fermented, mildly alcoholic beverage made from rice.

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sake ¹ British  

/ seɪk /

noun

1. benefit or interest (esp in the phrase for ( someone's or one's own ) sake )

2. the purpose of obtaining or achieving (esp in the phrase for the sake of ( something ))

3. used in various exclamations of impatience, urgency, etc

   for heaven's sake

   for pete's sake

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sake ² British  

/ ˈsækɪ /

noun

1. a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice

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sake Idioms  

1. see for the sake of.

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Etymology

Origin of sake¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sacu “lawsuit, cause”; cognate with German Sache “thing,” Old Norse sǫk “lawsuit”; akin to seek

Origin of sake²

First recorded in 1680–90; from Japanese sake; compare Okinawan saki

Explanation

Sake means the purpose for doing something. You might run a fund-raising marathon for the sake of sick children. Sake comes from the old English term for "affair," or "cause of guilt." We usually use sake to talk about the motivating cause of something we do. You might study hard for the sake of your grades. But then again, you might blow off your studies for the sake of having fun. Spelled the same way, but pronounced SAH-key, sake is also the name of a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.

Example Sentences

Blue Sushi Sake Grill – Ironworks is surrounded by restaurants, salons, gyms and activities in a recently developed shopping area.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

Mocktails “come out in a Bordeaux glass with a big fruit garnish and a big straw, and you feel like you’re getting this goofy thing,” says Hall, who runs restaurants Sake No Hana and Cathedrale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Clémentine de Montjoye, senior researcher in the Africa division at Human Rights Watch, told the BBC that geolocated images placed Rwandan troops in Sake, a town just outside Goma last week.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2025

Made from Yamadanishiki rice grown in Arkansas and brewed in 1800 bottle batches in Forest Grove, Oregon, Naginata Sake comes in a beautiful giftable bottle ready for the holidays.

From Salon • Dec. 17, 2024

Sakanouye-no-Tamuramaro, 147 Sake, 244 Salic law, 202 Samurai, 288, 295, 301ff., 312ff.,

From An Introduction to the History of Japan by Hara, Katsuro

Related Words

• well-being