Sacrifice Definition

săkrə-fīs
sacrificed, sacrifices, sacrificing
noun
sacrifices
The act of offering the life of a person or animal, or some object, in propitiation of or homage to a deity.
Webster's New World
A victim offered in this way.
American Heritage
The act of giving up, destroying, permitting injury to, or forgoing something valued for the sake of something having a more pressing claim.
Webster's New World
A thing so given up, etc.
Webster's New World
Something so offered.
Webster's New World
verb
sacrificed, sacrifices, sacrificing
To offer as a sacrifice to God or a god.
Webster's New World
To give up, destroy, permit injury to, or forgo (something valued) for the sake of something having a more pressing claim.
Webster's New World
To give up (one thing) for another thing considered to be of greater value.
American Heritage
To offer or make a sacrifice.
Webster's New World
To sell at less than the supposed value.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Sacrifice

Noun

Singular:
sacrifice
Plural:
sacrifices

Origin of Sacrifice

  • Middle English from Old French from Latin sacrificium sacer sacred sacred facere to make dhē- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Latin sacrificium (“sacrifice"), from sacrificō (“make or offer a sacrifice"), from sacer (“sacred, holy"), + faciō (“do, make").

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to sacrifice using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

sacrifice