asylum

American  

[uh-sahy-luhm] / əˈsaɪ ləm /

noun

1. (especially formerly) an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance.

2. an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary.

   He sought asylum in the church.

   Synonyms:

   retreat, shelter, haven

3. International Law.

   1. a refuge granted an alien by a sovereign state on its own territory.

   2. a temporary refuge granted political offenders, especially in a foreign embassy.

4. any secure retreat.

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asylum British  

/ əˈsaɪləm /

noun

1. a safe or inviolable place of refuge, esp as formerly offered by the Christian Church to criminals, outlaws, etc; sanctuary (often in the phrase give asylum to )

2. shelter; refuge

3. international law refuge afforded to a person whose extradition is sought by a foreign government

   political asylum

4. obsolete an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a mental hospital (formerly termed lunatic asylum )

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Etymology

Origin of asylum

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin, from Greek ásȳlon “sanctuary,” from a- a- ⁶ + sŷlon “right of seizure”

Explanation

When someone needs a refuge from a difficult or dangerous situation, they need asylum. If a government offers to protect people who have fled war or hardship in their own country, it gives them asylum. You may have heard asylum used to describe an institution where insane people are housed, but did you know that an asylum can also be somewhere you’d happily and willingly go? An asylum offers shelter and protection, like the awning of a building in a downpour. Or it could be a country that takes in refugees in danger of persecution — otherwise known as "political asylum."

Example Sentences

Trading Standards told us they find a constant supply of staff from asylum hotels, who are vulnerable to abuse by employers, working in those shops.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled changes to the system earlier this year, including plans for people granted asylum in the UK being offered only temporary protection subject to review every 30 months.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

AFP has interviewed deportees sent to Equatorial Guinea, including an East African man who crossed the US-Mexico border to seek asylum in 2024.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Sir Geoffrey blamed a "directionless bureaucracy" for leaving asylum seekers either "in limbo, or lost".

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Charles Parker did not know much about the American language—but he understood the American dollar very well, and he had used his money and influence to admit his cousin to the asylum without delay.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

• haven
• refuge
• sanctuary
• shelter