sanctum
Americannoun
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a sacred or holy place.
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an inviolably private place or retreat.
noun
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a sacred or holy place
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a room or place of total privacy or inviolability
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sanctum
1570–80; noun use of neuter of Latin sānctus; see Sanctus
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.
“We stand on the walls, sentinels of the inner sanctum, against the assault of AI slop. The Ontology is based firmly in reality—there is, here, a dialectic between ground truth, tribal knowledge, and enhancements.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
“We stand on the walls, sentinels of the inner sanctum, against the assault of AI slop,” Karp said in his letter to shareholders.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
The goal was to coax lapsed vacationers back to America’s sanctum of indulgence, greasing the wheels of a hospitality sector that’s struggled all year long.
From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025
Initially wary of allowing cameras into the sanctum of the dressing room, Reid says his misgivings soon disappeared.
From BBC • Oct. 4, 2025
My heart still skips a beat when I catch sight of the murti, of God Residing, in the inner sanctum of a temple.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
