sacrifice

American  

[sak-ruh-fahys] / ˈsæk rəˌfaɪs /

noun

1. the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage.

2. the person, animal, or thing so offered.

3. the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

4. the thing so surrendered or devoted.

5. a loss incurred in selling something below its value.

6. Baseball. Also sacrifice hit a batted ball, specifically a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, that results in the batter being put out at first base while one or more base runners safely advance. S

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verb (used with object)

sacrificed, sacrificing

1. to make a sacrifice or offering of.

2. to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.

   Synonyms:

   renounce, forgo, relinquish

3. to dispose of (goods, property, etc.) regardless of profit.

verb (used without object)

sacrificed, sacrificing

1. Baseball. to make a sacrifice hit.

   He sacrificed in the top of the fourth with a fly ball that brought in the go-ahead run from third base.

2. to offer or make a sacrifice.

sacrifice British  

/ ˈsækrɪˌfaɪs /

noun

1. a surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil

2. a ritual killing of a person or animal with the intention of propitiating or pleasing a deity

3. a symbolic offering of something to a deity

4. the person, animal, or object surrendered, destroyed, killed, or offered

5. a religious ceremony involving one or more sacrifices

6. loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value

7. chess the act or an instance of sacrificing a piece

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verb

1. to make a sacrifice (of); give up, surrender, or destroy (a person, thing, etc)

2. chess to permit or force one's opponent to capture (a piece) freely, as in playing a combination or gambit

   he sacrificed his queen and checkmated his opponent on the next move

Usage

What does sacrifice mean? A sacrifice is something important or precious that is given up for the sake of gaining something or allowing something to happen that is considered more important, as in I had to work hard and make a lot of sacrifices to achieve success. The word can also refer to the habitual act of giving things up in this way, as in Achieving success requires hard work and sacrifice. Sacrifice can also be used as a verb meaning to give something up in this way, as in I had to work hard and sacrifice to achieve success. Sometimes, the word is used in situations involving surrendering something to prevent something bad from happening, as in She sacrificed herself to save us. In all of these cases, the thing being sacrificed can be tangible, like a valued object, or intangible, like time or health, as in, I would never sacrifice my health just to make more money. The word sacrifice is often used in the context of religion to refer to an offering or to the act of offering something to the god or gods being worshipped. Such a sacrifice might be an animal that is killed. The central figure of Christianity, Jesus, is viewed by Christians as having been a sacrifice for the sake of human salvation. The adjective sacrificial is used to describe things that involve or are given as sacrifices. Example: There is simply not enough money in the budget, so we’re all going to have to make sacrifices and give up some things that we’re used to having.

Other Word Forms

• nonsacrifice noun
• nonsacrificing adjective
• presacrifice noun
• sacrificeable adjective
• sacrificer noun
• supersacrifice noun
• unsacrificeable adjective
• unsacrificed adjective
• unsacrificing adjective
• well-sacrificed adjective

Etymology

Origin of sacrifice

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English sacrifice, sacrifis(e), from Old French sacrefise, sacrefice, from Latin sacrificium “offering made to a deity, sacrifice,” equivalent to sacri- (combining form of sacer “holy, sacred”) + -fic-, combining form of facere “to make, build, construct” + -ium noun suffix; do ¹; -ium ( def. )

Explanation

A sacrifice is a loss or something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause. Parents sacrifice time and sleep to take care of their children, while kids might sacrifice TV time to hang out with mom and dad. Though no longer used only in a religious context, sacrifice comes from the Latin sacra and facere, meaning "to perform sacred rites." If you've studied ancient cultures like the Incas, you've probably heard of "human sacrifice," where a person is killed in a sacred ceremony to please the gods. But thankfully those kinds of sacrifices don't happen anymore.

Example Sentences

“There are a lot of people who say we are going to be the sacrifice zone again,” said Jennifer Kalt, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Waterkeeper, an environmental nonprofit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

That price tag would likely require car owners to sacrifice elements of performance, Reuters reported.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier claimed that more than 14 million Iranians had "so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran".

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Easter centers on themes of sacrifice, resurrection and redemption.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

My daily budget was a quickly spent twelve dollars, and every extravagance called for a corresponding sacrifice.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris