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sacred definition

sa·cred (sā′krid)

adjective

  1. consecrated to or belonging to the divinity or a deity; holy
  2. of or connected with religion or religious rites a sacred song
  3. regarded with the respect or reverence accorded holy things; venerated; hallowed
  4. set apart for, and dedicated to, some person, place, purpose, sentiment, etc. sacred to his memory
  5. secured as by a religious feeling or sense of justice against any defamation, violation, or intrusion; inviolate

Etymology: ME < pp. of sacren, to consecrate < OFr sacrer < L sacrare < sacer, holy < ? IE base *sak-, to sanctify, make a compact > ON sāttr, reconciled, Hittite šakliš, law, ritual

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

sacred Synonyms

sacred

modif.

  1. Holy

    pure, pious, saintly, divine; see holy 1.

  2. Dedicated

    consecrated, ordained, sanctioned; see divine 2. See syn. study at divine.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

sacred Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • almost: It starts with a chord which seems mystical - almost sacred.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • hold: Druids hold the land sacred, and honor the trees as symbols of the beauty and strength of creation.

Modifies a noun

  • grove: There was a party of Druids walking down to the sacred grove to perform their daily rites.

Used with adjective complement

  • deem: But a place does not have to be deemed sacred by the masses for it to provide spiritual satisfaction for an individual.
sacred usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

sacred quotes

To customs and beliefs, the very ones we hold sacred, sociology ruthlesslyattaches the adjective 'arbitrary'.

-Aron, Raymond Claude Ferdinand

If all men are born free, how is it that all women are born slaves? as they must be if the being subjected to the inconsistent, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will of men, be the perfect condition of slavery? and if the essence of freedom consists, as our masters say it does, in having a standing rule to live by? And why is slavery so much condemnedandstroveagainst inonecase, andsohighly applauded, and held so necessary and so sacred in another?

-Astell, Mary

Her funeral sermon (which was long And followed bya sacred song) Mentioned her virtues, it is true, But dwelt upon her vices too.

-Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre

sacred quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"sacred." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/sacred>

APA Style

sacred. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/sacred

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