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.

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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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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

But just before the wedding, when she turned 16 in 1996, Sierra Leone's civil war caused enough distraction to allow her to escape with the help of relatives and seek asylum in the UK.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

By December last year, more than 108,000 of these asylum applications had been processed, with about three in five people granted asylum.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

The majority of people making the crossing travel from France and go on to claim asylum in the UK, though not all of them are granted it.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

US Homeland Security officials said Soliman was in the country illegally, having overstayed a tourist visa, but that he had applied for asylum in September 2022.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

I spoke quietly into the mouthpiece of the asylum pay phone in the main hall of the administration building.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Related Words

• haven
• refuge
• sanctuary
• shelter