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
Timberland boots aren’t a closed practice or a sacred emblem, but their reinvention serves as yet another reminder of how easily African-American culture or 'hip-hop culture,’ as Carter frames it, can be reinterpreted without proper acknowledgment.
—
Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
For many, the morning congregation is no longer just a sacred moment of worship followed by a quick departure.
—Tiana Randall, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, in the administrative capital Naypyidaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, toppling sacred structures and affecting nearby homes.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Aries travelers will be drawn to Maui’s pristine scuba diving, hikes to cascading waterfalls, and the breathtaking ascent around the sacred Haleakala volcano.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacred
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Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
For many, the morning congregation is no longer just a sacred moment of worship followed by a quick departure.
—Tiana Randall, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, in the administrative capital Naypyidaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, toppling sacred structures and affecting nearby homes.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Aries travelers will be drawn to Maui’s pristine scuba diving, hikes to cascading waterfalls, and the breathtaking ascent around the sacred Haleakala volcano.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 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 14 Apr. 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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