sacral

¹ American  

[sey-kruhl, sak-ruhl] / ˈseɪ krəl, ˈsæk rəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to sacred rites or observances.

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sacral ² American  

[sey-kruhl, sak-ruhl] / ˈseɪ krəl, ˈsæk rəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sacrum.

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sacral ¹ British  

/ ˈseɪkrəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or associated with sacred rites

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sacral ² British  

/ ˈseɪkrəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sacrum

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Etymology

Origin of sacral¹

1880–85; < Latin sacr ( um ) sacred thing + -al ¹

Origin of sacral²

1760–70; < New Latin sacrālis; sacrum, -al ¹

Example Sentences

The “Criminal Minds” star also underwent multiple spinal surgeries to manage cauda equina syndrome, a rare condition in which nerve bundles in the lumbar or sacral spine are compressed or not functioning properly.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

British newspapers have rushed to offer support, invoking George Orwell’s descriptions of pubs as a haven for the working class and a sacral space for free thinkers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

Even if Roman Catholic religion is on the wane, a sense of the sacral or a need for reflection is also still present in society, whether one is religious, agnostic or atheist.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023

Born with sacral agenesis, a physical condition that makes her body different, Jones is excluded from “easy beauty,” Kate Tuttle wrote in The New York Times.

From New York Times • May 8, 2023

Rhombocœlia, rom-bō-sē′li-a, n. a dilatation of the spinal cord in the sacral region.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various