1
a
: dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity
a tree sacred to the gods
b
: devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose)
a fund sacred to charity
2
a
: worthy of religious veneration : holy
b
: entitled to reverence and respect
3
: of or relating to religion : not secular or profane
sacred music
4
archaic
: accursed
5
a
b
: highly valued and important
a sacred responsibility
sacredly
adverb
sacredness
noun
Examples of sacred in a Sentence
The burial site is sacred ground.
the sacred image of the Virgin Mary
the sacred pursuit of liberty
We have a sacred duty to find out the truth.
Freedom is a sacred right.
They'll make jokes about anything. Nothing is sacred to those guys.
I can't believe they would do that. Is nothing sacred?
Recent Examples on the Web
Because what matters, what makes Caravaggio so much more than an illustrator, is less the realism of the sacred image than its translation — through the bodies and faces of ordinary people — from the time of the Gospels to now.
—
Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Additionally, the applicants aim to honor the sacred and historical significance of the buttes to Native American history and mythology.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Across history, grief has long been honored as a sacred rite of passage.
—Devi Brown, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Many travelers to Istanbul, Turkey, may find themselves at one of the most beautiful sacred places in the world: the Hagia Sophia.
—Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacred
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Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Additionally, the applicants aim to honor the sacred and historical significance of the buttes to Native American history and mythology.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Across history, grief has long been honored as a sacred rite of passage.
—Devi Brown, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Many travelers to Istanbul, Turkey, may find themselves at one of the most beautiful sacred places in the world: the Hagia Sophia.
—Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacred
Cite this Entry
“Sacred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacred. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sacred
adjective
sa·cred
ˈsā-krəd 
1
: set apart in honor of someone (as a god)
a mountain sacred to Jupiter
2
: holy sense 3
the sacred name of Jesus
3
: religious entry 1 sense 2
sacred songs
4
: deserving respect or honor
a sacred right
sacredly
adverb
sacredness
noun
Etymology
Middle English sacred "sacred," derived from early French sacrer "to make holy, dedicate to God," from Latin sacrare (same meaning), from sacr-, sacer "sacred, holy" — related to consecrate, sacrifice
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