sacred
SAY-krid
/ˈseɪ.krɪd/
Connected with God or a divine purpose; set apart and entitled to veneration or respect.
Implies an inviolable boundary separating the spiritual from the ordinary (profane) world.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'sacrare' (to make holy), derived from 'sacer' (dedicated to a deity). It shares roots with 'sacrifice' and 'sanctuary'.
Word relationships
- holy: Holy emphasizes moral purity or direct divine presence, while sacred stresses being set apart for reverence.
- hallowed: Hallowed carries a strong connotation of historical respect and sanctification over time.
- profane: Profane means secular, unhallowed, or outside the sacred sphere.
- secular: Secular describes worldly matters independent of spiritual or religious frameworks.
Commonly confused with
- scared: Scared means frightened, whereas sacred means holy or venerable.
Word family
- sacredness (noun): The quality of being sacred.
- sanctify (verb): To make sacred or set apart as holy.
Collocations
- sacred ground
- sacred ritual
- sacred trust
- sacred text
Idioms & expressions
- sacred cow
Example sentences
- "The elders designated the ancient grove as a sacred space where logging was strictly forbidden." Traditional ecology
- "Sociologists distinguish between the sacred items used in worship and the secular tools of everyday survival." Comparative religion
Memory hook
SACRED sounds like SANCTUARY—a place set apart for safety and holiness. Set apart for holiness.
When not to use
Do not use merely to describe something valuable or expensive unless it holds spiritual or inviolable importance.
Fun facts
- Sociologist Émile Durkheim defined religion fundamentally as the division of the world into the sacred and the profane.
Explore more words
sacrosanct, consecrate, hallowed, secular, reverence, veneration
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