asylum

American  

[uh-sahy-luhm] / əˈsaɪ ləm /

noun

• asylums,
  plural
• asyla
  plural

1. (especially formerly) an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance.

2. an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary.

   He sought asylum in the church.

   Synonyms:

   retreat, shelter, haven

3. International Law.

   1. a refuge granted an alien by a sovereign state on its own territory.

   2. a temporary refuge granted political offenders, especially in a foreign embassy.

4. any secure retreat.

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asylum British  

/ əˈsaɪləm /

noun

1. 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 )

2. shelter; refuge

3. international law refuge afforded to a person whose extradition is sought by a foreign government

   political asylum

4. obsolete an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a mental hospital (formerly termed lunatic asylum )

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• asyla
  plural
• asylums
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

asylum asyla asylums

Although it has never formally recognised asylum seekers – which means refugees have no right to housing, employment, and education – many Rohingya still see Muslim-majority Malaysia as a place of safety and economic opportunity.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Pirela’s wife, Kemberly Avila, said last week that she and her husband have pending asylum applications.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

While return procedures are accelerated, the government will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those who seek asylum or are unaccompanied minors and therefore cannot be returned, he added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The government also has moved to tighten asylum rules.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

I was about to say, "Back to the asylum," but the man looked promising, so I changed my mind.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Greece had its famous asyla, but the custom of our own country was probably influenced from Hebrew rather than classical sources.

From Legal Lore Curiosities of Law and Lawyers by Various

We no longer write of ideæ, chori, asyla, musea, sphinges, specimina for ideas, choruses, asylums, museums, sphinxes, specimens, and the notion of returning to such plurals would seem barbarous and absurd.

From Society for Pure English, Tract 03 (1920) A Few Practical Suggestions by Society for Pure English

Or were they swimming with the normative current in order to maintain careers, families, social standing — or, for that matter, to avoid being sent to asylums for shock treatment?

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026

Orson and Lorenzo, consummate showmen, were summoned to prisons, where they inspected the heads of inmates and guessed their crimes; at lunatic asylums they were challenged to identify the patients’ disorders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

The Magdalene Laundries were back in the spotlight recently following the death of Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, who spent time in one of the former asylums as a teenager.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2023

In the 1960s, there was a major push in California and nationally to close asylums and treat people with serious mental illnesses in their communities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2023

I couldn’t stop reading about the horrors—especially the stories about orphan asylums filled with unloved and underfed waifs.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• haven
• refuge
• sanctuary
• shelter