Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

asylum

American  
[uh-sahy-luhm] / əˈsaɪ ləm /

noun

  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.

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 )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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”

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.

On Monday, a federal judge in California took a step that would allow a class-action lawsuit against the administration’s handling of certain asylum claims.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Between 2011 and 2021, nearly 31,000 Syrians were granted asylum in Britain after the civil war there sparked a refugee crisis, according to government statistics.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

But the French authorities are reported by The Guardian to be concerned that UK demands could put the lives of asylum seekers at greater risk.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

According to bklg.org, an immigration tool that analyzes publicly available court data, there are an estimated 3,366 open Somali asylum cases nationwide and 2,230 have recently been reassigned, impacting asylum-seekers in 34 different states.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

I looked at her with surprise, because although I knew who she was, and often passed her, with a brief nod, in the asylum hall, I never spoke to her at all.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

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.