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asylum

uh-SIGH-luhm /əˈsaɪləm/

nounB2IELTSTOEFLUPSC

legalpolitical

The protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee.

Asylum is the legal sanctuary itself. While 'refugee' describes the person, 'asylum' describes the safe state of protection granted by a host government.

The story behind the word. In ancient Greece, certain temples and sacred sites were designated as 'asylon'—literally meaning 'un-plundered' or 'not subject to seizure.' If a runaway slave or a defeated soldier reached these grounds, they could not be dragged away by force; they were protected by the gods.

Word relationships

sanctuary: Sanctuary can be a general, spiritual, or physical place of safety, while asylum is specifically a formal, legal status granted by a state.
refuge: Refuge is a broad term for shelter from danger, whereas asylum is highly institutionalized and legally binding.

deportation: Deportation is the official expulsion of a person from a country, the opposite of granting them legal shelter.

Commonly confused with

asylum (historical): Historically, 'asylum' also referred to psychiatric hospitals (insane asylums), a usage that is now largely obsolete and considered offensive.

Word family

asylum-seeker (noun): A person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking asylum in another.

Collocations

seek asylum
grant asylum
political asylum
asylum seeker

Example sentences

"The dissident journalist sought political asylum at the foreign embassy after receiving threats from the local police." A high-profile political defection.
"The judge granted asylum to the family, ruling that returning them to their home country would place their lives in immediate danger." A court ruling on human rights.

Memory hook

A-SYLUM: Think of a 'silent' ('sylum') place where no one can scream or capture you. A sacred place free from seizure.

When not to use

Do not use to describe simple physical shelter from a rainstorm; it refers to formal, legal protection.

Fun facts

The concept of diplomatic asylum—where an embassy protects a fugitive—gained global attention when Julian Assange spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.