shrine
SHRYN
/ʃraɪn/
A place regarded as holy because of its association with a divinity, sacred person, or relic; or a niche containing a holy image.
Shrines are typically smaller and more specific than sanctuaries, often dedicated to a single saint, deity, or historical figure.
The story behind the word. Shrine evolved from the Latin scrinium, which originally referred to a chest or box for keeping books and papers. In early Christian times, these boxes were used to hold the bones or relics of saints, and eventually, the word came to mean the holy place built around these relics.
Word relationships
- memorial: A structure built to preserve the memory of a person or event, which may not have any religious or sacred character.
- monument: A large structure built to commemorate a person or event, usually public and civic rather than deeply spiritual.
Commonly confused with
- altar: An altar is a flat surface or table used specifically for offerings or sacrifices, whereas a shrine is the entire structure or space dedicated to a holy figure.
Word family
- enshrine (verb): To preserve or cherish as sacred.
Collocations
- roadside shrine
- sacred shrine
- erect a shrine
- shrine dedicated to
Example sentences
- "A small stone shrine dedicated to the patron saint of travelers stood at the mountain pass." A description of a roadside holy site.
- "Fans turned the singer's childhood home into a permanent shrine, filling it with memorabilia." A secular memorial dedicated to a famous person.
Memory hook
A shrine is like a fine shine on a sacred chest containing holy relics. A holy chest or monument.
When not to use
Do not use for an entire large temple complex, unless referring specifically to the holy focal point within it.
Fun facts
- The word shrine and the word screen actually share a distant linguistic connection, as both relate to enclosing or protecting something valuable.
Related words
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