sacred cow

American  

noun

1. an individual, organization, institution, etc., considered to be exempt from criticism or questioning.

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sacred cow British  

noun

1. informal a person, institution, custom, etc, unreasonably held to be beyond criticism

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sacred cow Cultural  

1. Figuratively, anything that is beyond criticism: “That housing project is a real sacred cow: the city council won't hear of abandoning it.” In India, followers of Hinduism consider cows sacred and do not eat them because they believe the animals contain the souls of dead persons.

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sacred cow Idioms  

1. A person or thing immune to criticism or questioning, as in The rules governing the press conference have become a sacred cow in this administration. This term alludes to the honored status of cows in Hinduism, where they are a symbol of God's generosity to humankind. It has been used figuratively since about 1900.

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Etymology

Origin of sacred cow

First recorded in 1905–10; in reference to the traditional inviolability of the cow among Hindus

Example Sentences

The conservative advocate who dismantled affirmative action is joining forces with a center-left Democrat and a Duke University economist to challenge another sacred cow in elite college admissions: preferential treatment for the offspring of alumni.

From The Wall Street Journal

And in the Philippines, an independent commission has been set up to investigate the possible misuse of flood prevention funds, with President Marcos promising there would be "no sacred cows" in the hunt.

From BBC

"There will be no sacred cows in this pursuit," Mwiimbu added.

From BBC

Greenfield called Jackson an “iconoclast,” and this contrarian spirit is integral to an artist who is dubious of sacred cows.

From Los Angeles Times

And their play is the latest testament to the 16th president’s staying power as an irreverent figure in genre — comedy, horror, thrillers — a world that devours sacred cows like a kid scarfs down Skittles.

From New York Times