sacred
Americanadjective
-
devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.
-
entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.
- Antonyms:
- blasphemous
-
pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to secular orprofane ).
sacred music;
sacred books.
-
reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object.
a morning hour sacred to study.
- Synonyms:
- consecrated
-
regarded with reverence.
the sacred memory of a dead hero.
- Synonyms:
- revered
-
secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right.
sacred oaths; sacred rights.
- Synonyms:
- sacrosanct
-
properly immune from violence, interference, etc., as a person or office.
- Synonyms:
- inviolable, inviolate
adjective
-
exclusively devoted to a deity or to some religious ceremony or use; holy; consecrated
-
worthy of or regarded with reverence, awe, or respect
-
protected by superstition or piety from irreligious actions
-
connected with or intended for religious use
sacred music
-
dedicated to; in honour of
Synonym Usage
See holy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sacred
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, originally past participle of sacren “to consecrate,” from Latin sacrāre “to devote,” derivative of sacer “holy”; see -ed 2
Explanation
Something sacred is holy, devoted to a religious ceremony, or simply worthy of awe and respect. Jerusalem is a sacred place for many religions, just as Fenway is a sacred place for Red Sox fans. Sacred is an adjective used to describe a person or thing worthy of worship or declared holy. It usually appears in a religious context, but an object or place set aside for a particular purpose can also be sacred. Sacred spaces and items are intended to be treated with care and respect — even if it's just your shrine to Brad Pitt.
Vocabulary lists containing sacred
Code Talker
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Excerpt from "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Panag-aapoy is a sacred cultural tradition, NOT a festival or a tourism event," the Philippine tourism ministry said in a seasonal advisory.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Badrinath is one of four sacred sites on the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, alongside Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
A pair of deep seats covered in nubby upholstery sit close to this sacred space’s altar — a vinyl-stacked media console holding a vintage receiver and turntable, flanked by two ATC SCM50 loudspeakers.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
Tribal members and allies formed a group, the Kinest’e Community Coalition, to have a say in the project, protect sacred sites and ultimately reroute the trail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Hold those images in your mind and repeat this sacred prayer after me. ‘
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
