consecrated

American  

[kon-si-krey-tid] / ˈkɒn sɪˌkreɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. sacred or set apart; dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or for a spiritual or religious purpose.

   Holding the vessel of consecrated water, the swami poured it out over the newly built shrine.

2. (of bread, wine, or both elements) changed into the Eucharist.

   During the Mass, the priest offers to God the consecrated bread and wine in re-enactment of the self-offering of Jesus Christ.

3. venerated or highly honored; established as inviolable.

   It is never easy to convert formal legislative initiatives into a dominant vision and culturally consecrated practice.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of consecrate.

Usage

What does consecrated mean? Consecrated describes something that is considered sacred. Something consecrated is dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or for spiritual or religious purposes. Something usually becomes consecrated through a ritual or ceremony in which a religious leader blesses it or imposes some type of belief onto it. In many faiths, consecrated items are revered for their ability to bless, bring good fortune, and be used as a tool for praying. In many Christian faiths, consecrated specifically describes the bread and wine that, according to the faith, have been changed into the Eucharist. While consecrated is most commonly used in these religious senses, it is sometimes used figuratively to describe something that is not religious but still highly honored or revered, such as a consecrated study in a subject, such as mathematics or science. Example: The mosque down the road was consecrated just in time for their Nikah ceremony.

Other Word Forms

• consecratedness noun
• superconsecrated adjective
• unconsecrated adjective

Etymology

Origin of consecrated

consecrate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

When something is consecrated it is declared to be sacred or holy. Many Catholics, for example, believe that bread and wine are consecrated, or made sacred during Holy Communion, becoming the body and blood of Christ. The word consecrated is made up of the Latin suffix con-, which expresses intensive force and sacrare, meaning "dedicate." Something that is consecrated is intensely dedicated to the point of being declared holy. It's not just bread and wine that people believe to be consecrated. You might call a cemetery "consecrated ground."

Example Sentences

Their presence may allude to the hymn “Panis Angelicus,” or “bread of angels,” written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century as a poetic reference to the presence of Christ in the consecrated host.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

She said the square has been consecrated by dignitaries of all religious denominations in Ganvie, making it a respected place, both spiritual and symbolic.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Presiding over the service was Cardinal Robert Prevost, who is now Pope Leo XIV and whose devotion to Guadalupe is such that he was consecrated as a bishop 11 years ago this Dec. 12.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

It has been placed on Unesco's World Heritage list, along with some of Gaudi's other works, and was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025

Clara was the one in whom she confided her most subtle feelings, and to her she consecrated her enormous capacity for sacrifice and veneration.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende