sacrifice

American  

[sak-ruh-fahys] / ˈsæk rəˌfaɪs /

noun

• sacrifices
  plural

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)

• sacrifices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sacrificed,
  past participle,  past
• sacrificing
  present participle

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)

• sacrifices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sacrificed,
  past participle,  past
• sacrificing
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sacrifices
  plural

Participles

• sacrificing
  present
• sacrificed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sacrifice
  simple
• sacrifices
  simple
• have sacrificed
  perfect
• has sacrificed
  perfect
• am sacrificing
  progressive
• are sacrificing
  progressive
• is sacrificing
  progressive
• have been sacrificing
  perfect progressive
• has been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sacrificed
  simple
• had sacrificed
  perfect
• was sacrificing
  progressive
• were sacrificing
  progressive
• had been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sacrifice
  simple
• will have sacrificed
  perfect
• will be sacrificing
  progressive
• will have been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

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; see origin at do ¹; see also -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

See Examples For:

sacrifice sacrifices sacrificed sacrificing

"Because after all it's been 25 years with a lot of sacrifice."

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

The Brewers tied the score in the fifth inning, manufacturing a run with a leadoff double, bunt single and sacrifice fly from the bottom of the order.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

They still fared better than Bessent and Rubio, who were offered up as a potential sacrifice on Air Force One.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Other approaches that prioritize activity may sacrifice long-term stability.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

She understood now clearly what she had meant long ago when she said to Adèle Ratignolle that she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself for her children.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

China and Russia's ambassadors to Japan also issued a joint statement about their countries' sacrifices in World War II, Jiji Press reported.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

"Undoubtedly one of the things that you are considering are the serious sacrifices that both your family and your friends have made over the years for you to do what you do," he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Coaching at this level was about making sacrifices for the love of the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

For decades, their families could look back at their sacrifices in sorrow but also in pride at how their lives had forged a true American democracy.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

When I had reached out to Yakov in the mikveh, I hadn’t realized how exactly he wanted me to help him, or what sacrifices it would entail.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Koizumi left the shrine without responding to reporters' questions, but he later said on Instagram that he visited to "offer his sincere condolences to the heroic spirits who sacrificed their precious lives for the nation."

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The findings also overturn a long-held idea about the people sacrificed near Shimao's East Gate.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Priests used this odd object, divided into zones inscribed with the name of a god, as a teaching tool: In a sacrificed animal, departures from the liver’s usual features were viewed as messages from deities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

"For a long time, we shouted that we would sacrifice our lives for the leader, but it was he who sacrificed himself for us."

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

My dad got blown up in Afghanistan, and Ma and everybody we knew and plenty of people we didn’t know but knew his name, all reminded me—he sacrificed for all of us.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

Fill in the knowledge gaps: Early on, Chime and his co-founders wanted to grow from 10 people to 50 without sacrificing their culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

To slash costs without sacrificing performance, Apple opted to use the same A18 Pro processor in the iPhone 16 to power the MacBook Neo.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026

Backus and Enquist set the foundation for what softball is today, paving the way for new opportunities by sacrificing for the greater good of softball’s future.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Flanked by a tight, three piece band, the set was less demanding from a body-slamming perspective, without sacrificing the energy of the music.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

“If not, Merriweather might be sacrificing herself for nothing! We have to get out of here, and now, Phillip. Tell him, May.”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley