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

See Examples For:

sake

In turn, the investments grandparental figures make promote a form of longevity that is gained not just for its own sake, but for a larger and nobler purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The journey will require an impenetrable will and a fearlessness to sacrifice everything for the sake of democracy for all.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

But Manley urged the public to be careful with their use of water - for the sake of wildlife and the wider environment.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Yet many still doubt that the choices we make for convenience’s sake are destroying the planet.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

“I mentioned a top secret training activity the mountain was doing at the Academy this week, and that for the sake of security she shouldn’t mention if she saw any of the mountain students.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• well-being