sanctity
Americannoun
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holiness, saintliness, or godliness.
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sacred or hallowed character.
the inviolable sanctity of the temple.
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a sacred thing.
noun
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the condition of being sanctified; holiness
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anything regarded as sanctified or holy
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the condition of being inviolable; sacredness
the sanctity of marriage
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sanctity
1350–1400; < Latin sānctitās holiness, equivalent to sānct- ( see Sanctus) + -itās -ity; replacing Middle English sauntite < Anglo-French < Latin, as above
Explanation
Sanctity describes something that is holy, like the sanctity of religious objects to believers. Sanctity goes back to the Latin root sanctus, meaning "holy" or "sacred." A synonym for sanctity is godliness and most religions describe God as completely holy. Sanctity also can describe sacred obligation or rights — you may have heard of the sanctity of marriage, meaning the value and respect society shows to married people.
Vocabulary lists containing sanctity
"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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This Week in Pop Culture: April 6–12, 2019
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The Handmaid's Tale
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This moment of collective attention—a contrast to the brusque efficiency Ms. Holliday experienced the night of her sister’s death—imbues the experience of loss with one of sanctity that says “this moment matters.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
"In our eyes, the sanctity of life comes before the commitment to return the remains of a fighter for burial."
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
This study of extravagance and sanctity made Handel seem utterly relevant in his attempt to thwart early 18th century censorship and say something important.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025
Purity is usually associated with ideas about cleanliness, sanctity or avoiding contamination – so finding that it is associated with negative views about wealth gives new meaning to the phrase “filthy rich.”
From Salon • Oct. 25, 2025
The sanctity of the law...and the wisdom to know when it must be broken.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
