sacrament

American  

[sak-ruh-muhnt] / ˈsæk rə mənt /

noun

• sacraments
  plural

1. Ecclesiastical. a visible sign of an inward grace, especially one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace: the sacraments of the Protestant churches are baptism and the Lord's Supper; the sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders, and extreme unction.

2. Also called Holy Sacrament.  (often initial capital letter) the Eucharist or Lord's Supper.

3. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, especially the bread.

4. something regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.

5. a sign, token, or symbol.

6. an oath; solemn pledge.

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sacrament British  

/ ˈsækrəmənt /

noun

1. an outward sign combined with a prescribed form of words and regarded as conferring some specific grace upon those who receive it. The Protestant sacraments are baptism and the Lord's Supper. In the Roman Catholic and Eastern Churches they are baptism, penance, confirmation, the Eucharist, holy orders, matrimony, and the anointing of the sick (formerly extreme unction)

2. (often capital) the Eucharist

3. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, esp the bread

4. something regarded as possessing a sacred or mysterious significance

5. a symbol; pledge

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sacrament Cultural  

1. A religious ceremony or rite. Most Christian churches reserve the term for those rites that Jesus himself instituted, but there are disagreements between them on which rites those are. The Lutheran Church, for example, maintains that baptism and Communion are the only sacraments, whereas in the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, there are five more: confirmation; confession; anointing of the sick; the ordination of clergy; and the marriage of Christians.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sacraments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sacrament

1150–1200; Middle English < Medieval Latin sacrāmentum obligation, oath, Late Latin: mystery, rite, equivalent to Latin sacrā ( re ) to devote + -mentum -ment

Explanation

A sacrament is a religious ceremony or rite. Sacraments are important holy events to members of that religion. Different religions recognize different sacraments. If you're a Protestant, you might attend a baptism, yet if you're Roman Catholic, you would include confirmation and matrimony among the various ceremonies you attend. Usually a holy person like a priest or minister needs to perform a sacrament. A less religious definition of this word is to think of a sacrament as something that is sacred or mysterious: a serious baseball fan might think of visiting Fenway Park as a sacrament.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sacrament sacraments

The Vatican said on Thursday: "The sacred ministers of the Society of St Pius X administer the sacraments illicitly, while the sacrament of penance they administer and the marriages they witness are invalid."

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

He wanted to offer Holy Communion, the central sacrament of Roman Catholic faith, not only to the detainees inside the facility, but also to the federal agents stationed there.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026

Perhaps he didn’t understand the new Protestant Communion—rather than at an altar, the sacrament now took place over a table covered with a simple cloth—and he was pleading that someone explain it to him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

He describes a large rustic loaf “held close to the heart,” sliced toward the body in a communal sacrament, representing an elemental and ancient loaf unsullied by ultra-processing or bleached flour.

From Slate ● Mar. 15, 2025

The Protestant confession was boldly different from the Catholic sacrament of Confession.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

It means a baptised follower is "out of communion" with the Church - meaning they cannot receive the sacraments, for example going to confession, or get married within the Roman Catholic Church.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

In Mr. Mian’s travelogue, we meet person after person who professes adherence to Russian Orthodox Christianity, but no one speaks of salvation, sacraments or even Jesus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026

More food, more money, and the symbolic pull of seven — sacraments, days of creation, virtues — turned a humble pre-Mass meal into a celebratory Italian-American blowout.

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025

For the past 15 years, he’s been going on the road with circuses to preside over Mass, perform sacraments and provide pastoral care.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024

Confession is one of the most important sacraments of the Catholic Church—a holy moment in which people can repent their wrongs.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• communion
• liturgy