Euan McKirdy
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Historically, churches have been places where fugitives could seek at least temporary protection from the law. In Anglo-Saxon England, churches and churchyards generally provided 40 days of immunity, and neither the sheriffs nor the army would enter to seize the outlaw. But gradually the right of sanctuary was eroded. In 1486 sanctuary for the crime of treason was disallowed, and sanctuary for most other crimes was severely restricted by Henry VIII and later abolished. In the 1980s many U.S. churches provided sanctuary to political refugees from Central America, and the U.S. government mostly chose not to interfere. Today, wildlife sanctuaries provide protection for the species within its boundaries, and farm-animal sanctuaries now rescue livestock from abuse and starvation.
Examples of sanctuary in a Sentence
Elise Taylor, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
The spectacular Drawing Room, which is a second-floor lobby and sanctuary looking out on the lake, feels like the ornate library of a gentleman’s club, with wooden columns, fireplaces, work tables, and reading nooks.
—Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025
The church as a refuge Since 2022, more than 200,000 asylum seekers arrived to New York City, some arriving by bus as Republican states sought to overwhelm the city’s sanctuary status.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sanctuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctuary. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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sanctuary
noun
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