sanctified

American  

[sangk-tuh-fahyd] / ˈsæŋk təˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. made holy; consecrated.

   sanctified wine.

2. sanctimonious.

   a sickening, sanctified smile.

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sanctified British  

/ ˈsæŋktɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. consecrated or made holy

2. a less common word for sanctimonious

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Other Word Forms

• sanctifiedly adjective
• unsanctified adjective

Etymology

Origin of sanctified

First recorded in 1475–85; sanctify + -ed ²

Explanation

Something that's sanctified is blessed or holy. In many religions, buildings, objects, and people can be sanctified. A sanctified chalice of wine and sanctified wafers are used in many churches' Holy Communion (or Eucharist) rites. To believers, this means that these things have been blessed by God. Sometimes this adjective describes something that is merely acceptable or respectable, like your brother's sanctified behavior at the dinner table. The Latin root of sanctified is sanctus, "holy."

Example Sentences

No one should ever be above skepticism no matter how sanctified and righteous they may seem — that’s why the New York Times investigation crashed into the Chicano collective sense of self like a meteor.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Not Section 60, where the atmosphere is sanctified but not somber—too many kids, Meredith recalled from her visits to her son’s burial site.

From Salon • Sep. 5, 2024

Yes, it’s time for this series to focus on John Coltrane — perhaps the most sanctified musician in the whole Black American tradition, who other artists sometimes refer to simply as “St. John.”

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2024

“Here, communication between man and God takes place,” said Lyngdoh, a descendant of the priestly clan which sanctified the Mawphlang forest.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024

There was nothing sanctified about the laws of the streets—the laws were amoral and practical.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates