sacred

[sey-krid]

adjective

1. devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated.

2. entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.

   Synonyms: venerable, divine
   Antonyms: blasphemous

3. pertaining to or connected with religion (secular orprofane ).

   sacred music;

   sacred books.

4. reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object.

   a morning hour sacred to study.

   Synonyms: consecrated

5. regarded with reverence.

   the sacred memory of a dead hero.

   Synonyms: revered

6. secured against violation, infringement, etc., as by reverence or sense of right.

   sacred oaths; sacred rights.

   Synonyms: sacrosanct

7. properly immune from violence, interference, etc., as a person or office.

   Synonyms: inviolable, inviolate

sacred

/ ˈseɪkrɪd /

adjective

1. exclusively devoted to a deity or to some religious ceremony or use; holy; consecrated

2. worthy of or regarded with reverence, awe, or respect

3. protected by superstition or piety from irreligious actions

4. connected with or intended for religious use

   sacred music

5. dedicated to; in honour of

Other Word Forms

• sacredly adverb
• sacredness noun
• nonsacred adjective
• nonsacredly adverb
• nonsacredness noun
• pseudosacred adjective
• semisacred adjective
• supersacred adjective
• unsacred adjective
• unsacredly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sacred¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, originally past participle of sacren “to consecrate,” from Latin sacrāre “to devote,” derivative of sacer “holy”; -ed ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of sacred¹

C14: from Latin sacrāre to set apart as holy, from sacer holy

Synonym Study

See holy.

Example Sentences

“These monsters have chosen to disgrace the most sacred thing—care for the families of fallen heroes!” lawmaker Leonid Slutsky said this summer.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Each section—crucifixion, burial and resurrection—began with plainchant and continued with more elaborate settings of those and other sacred texts on the subjects.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The American Indians had done nothing to warrant war, but white trespassers had discovered gold in the sacred Black Hills, a mountain range in what is now western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The artist initially intended to create five matching versions of his toilet, which he titled “America” as a way to question which spaces in a museum get deemed sacred versus profane.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Tule River acquisition restores some of the tribe’s sacred homeland, and will enable a host of conservation projects, including protecting the Deer Creek watershed, protecting habitat for California condors and reintroducing tule elk.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cherished www.thesaurus.com
• divine 
• hallowed 
• religious 
• revered 
• solemn 
• spiritual