asylum
Americannoun
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(especially formerly) an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance.
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an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary.
He sought asylum in the church.
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International Law.
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a refuge granted an alien by a sovereign state on its own territory.
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a temporary refuge granted political offenders, especially in a foreign embassy.
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any secure retreat.
noun
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a safe or inviolable place of refuge, esp as formerly offered by the Christian Church to criminals, outlaws, etc; sanctuary (often in the phrase give asylum to )
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shelter; refuge
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international law refuge afforded to a person whose extradition is sought by a foreign government
political asylum
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obsolete an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a mental hospital (formerly termed lunatic asylum )
Etymology
Origin of asylum
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin, from Greek ásȳlon “sanctuary,” from a- a- 6 + sŷlon “right of seizure”
Explanation
When someone needs a refuge from a difficult or dangerous situation, they need asylum. If a government offers to protect people who have fled war or hardship in their own country, it gives them asylum. You may have heard asylum used to describe an institution where insane people are housed, but did you know that an asylum can also be somewhere you’d happily and willingly go? An asylum offers shelter and protection, like the awning of a building in a downpour. Or it could be a country that takes in refugees in danger of persecution — otherwise known as "political asylum."
Vocabulary lists containing asylum
100 Top "SAT" Words
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The Westing Game
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
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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.
Unaccompanied child migrants are processed through the care system rather than the asylum system, which can make it easier to stay in the country.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
He later went to the U.S. to seek asylum.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Last year, the UK government said it had concluded that the technology was the most "cost-effective option" to assess the age of asylum seekers.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
It also called on Korean authorities to allow Dong to seek political asylum, or help facilitate his safe passage to Canada where his family members live.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
On May 8, 1889, with the help of Reverend Salles, and with Theo's blessing and financial support, Vincent checks himself into the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions 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.
