sanctity

[sangk-ti-tee]

noun

plural

sanctities 

1. holiness, saintliness, or godliness.

2. sacred or hallowed character.

   the inviolable sanctity of the temple.

3. a sacred thing.

sanctity

/ ˈsæŋktɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being sanctified; holiness

2. anything regarded as sanctified or holy

3. the condition of being inviolable; sacredness

   the sanctity of marriage

Other Word Forms

• nonsanctity noun
• unsanctity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanctity¹

1350–1400; < Latin sānctitās holiness, equivalent to sānct- ( Sanctus ) + -itās -ity; replacing Middle English sauntite < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanctity¹

C14: from Old French saincteté, from Latin sanctitās, from sanctus holy

Idioms and Phrases

see odor of sanctity.

Example Sentences

"Even in deeply polarised times, we must never lose sight of our humanity and our respect for the sanctity of all human life."

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"Historically the Turkish people have been acutely sensitive about the sanctity of the ballot and attempts to curtail it would provoke serious consequences," he says.

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“The common dominator in all of this is the gun. At some level, the sanctity and the misapplication of the Second Amendment can’t supersede every conversation about the lives of our kids,” he said.

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“We must work to cherish and protect the sanctity of life at its most vulnerable stages.”

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How it would “supplement the sanctity” of Social Security benefits isn’t apparent from Bessent’s statement, or the law.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• divinity 
• faith 
• inviolability 
• purity 
• righteousness 
• solemnity 
• spirituality