altar

American  

[awl-ter] / ˈɔl tər /

noun

1. an elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform at which religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc.

2. Ecclesiastical. communion table.

3. Astronomy. Altar, the constellation Ara.

4. (in a dry dock) a ledge for supporting the feet of shorings.

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idioms

1. lead to the altar, to marry.

   After a five-year courtship, he led her to the altar.

altar British  

/ ˈɔːltə /

noun

1. a raised place or structure where sacrifices are offered and religious rites performed

2. (in Christian churches) the communion table

3. a step in the wall of a dry dock upon which structures supporting a vessel can stand

4. informal to marry

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Etymology

Origin of altar

First recorded before 1000; Middle English alter, altar, auter, Old English altar, altare, alter; (compare Middle Dutch outaer, Old Saxon, Old Norse altari, Old High German altāri ), from Latin altāria (the more frequently used plural of altāre used in a singular sense), of disputed origin and formation, but probably akin to Latin adolēre “to make a burnt offering, cremate,” Umbrian uřetu “let it burn, set incense on the fire”

Explanation

An altar is a raised area in a house of worship where people can honor God with offerings. It is prominent in the Bible as "God's table," a sacred place for sacrifices and gifts offered up to God. The word altar comes from the Latin altārium, meaning "high," and also to the Latin adolere, which means "to ritually burn or sacrifice," which suggests its early purpose as detailed in the Bible. Nowadays, the altar is the place for non-sacrificial religious rites such as communion or weddings, and is a metaphor for offerings. Comedian Stephen Fry once said, “I am a lover of truth, a worshipper of freedom, a celebrant at the altar of language and purity and tolerance.”

Example Sentences

Around the altar, placards bearing the names of Christian villages in south Lebanon -- cut off from the rest of the country or under fire -- had been placed.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

They seem to be lowering Christ’s corpse, which is thrust forward from the picture plane, onto the altar below the painting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Married At First Sight features single people who agree to marry total strangers, meeting them for the first time at the altar.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Like an evangelist giving an altar call, his bid is invitational in nature.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026

When we came to the front, she half knelt, looking up to the altar, and crossed herself again before sliding in to take her seat.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Related Words

• shrine