sake

¹ American  

[seyk] / seɪk /

noun

1. cause, account, interest, or benefit.

   for the sake of all students.

   Synonyms:

   respect, consideration, regard

2. purpose or end.

   for the sake of appearances.

   Synonyms:

   reason

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sake ² American  

[sah-kee] / ˈsɑ ki /

Or saké,

noun

1. a Japanese fermented, mildly alcoholic beverage made from rice.

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sake ¹ British  

/ seɪk /

noun

1. benefit or interest (esp in the phrase for ( someone's or one's own ) sake )

2. the purpose of obtaining or achieving (esp in the phrase for the sake of ( something ))

3. used in various exclamations of impatience, urgency, etc

   for heaven's sake

   for pete's sake

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sake ² British  

/ ˈsækɪ /

noun

1. a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice

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sake Idioms  

1. see for the sake of.

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Etymology

Origin of sake¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sacu “lawsuit, cause”; cognate with German Sache “thing,” Old Norse sǫk “lawsuit”; akin to seek

Origin of sake²

First recorded in 1680–90; from Japanese sake; compare Okinawan saki

Explanation

Sake means the purpose for doing something. You might run a fund-raising marathon for the sake of sick children. Sake comes from the old English term for "affair," or "cause of guilt." We usually use sake to talk about the motivating cause of something we do. You might study hard for the sake of your grades. But then again, you might blow off your studies for the sake of having fun. Spelled the same way, but pronounced SAH-key, sake is also the name of a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.

Example Sentences

“Nobody should be using AI tools just for the sake of using them. All motion is not progress and token usage alone is not a measure of impact of any kind.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Let’s assume, for the sake of this column, that your friend’s sister is indeed a bad actor.

From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026

“The de-extinction breathlessness,” says biologist Paul Knoepfler of UC Davis, “potentially endangers real animals for the sake of hypothetical future de-extincted ones.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Ours is an age not only of cultural backsliding but also of people uprooting themselves for the sake of safety and reinvention.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

Whatever was up ahead, he had to find a way through, for both Pond’s and his own sake.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• well-being