sacred

[ sey-krid ]
See synonyms for: sacredsacredness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.

  2. entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.

  1. pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to secular or profane): sacred music;sacred books.

  2. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object: a morning hour sacred to study.

  3. regarded with reverence: the sacred memory of a dead hero.

  4. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right: sacred oaths; sacred rights.

  5. properly immune from violence, interference, etc., as a person or office.

Origin of sacred

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, originally past participle of sacren “to consecrate,” from Latin sacrāre “to devote,” derivative of sacer “holy”; see -ed2

synonym study For sacred

2. See holy.

Other words for sacred

Opposites for sacred

Other words from sacred

  • sa·cred·ly, adverb
  • sa·cred·ness, noun
  • non·sa·cred, adjective
  • non·sa·cred·ly, adverb
  • non·sa·cred·ness, noun
  • pseu·do·sa·cred, adjective
  • sem·i·sa·cred, adjective
  • su·per·sa·cred, adjective
  • un·sa·cred, adjective
  • un·sa·cred·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with sacred

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sacred in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sacred

sacred

/ (ˈseɪkrɪd) /


adjective
  1. exclusively devoted to a deity or to some religious ceremony or use; holy; consecrated

  2. worthy of or regarded with reverence, awe, or respect

  1. protected by superstition or piety from irreligious actions

  2. connected with or intended for religious use: sacred music

  3. dedicated to; in honour of

Origin of sacred

1
C14: from Latin sacrāre to set apart as holy, from sacer holy

Derived forms of sacred

  • sacredly, adverb
  • sacredness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012