sacrosanct
adjective
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Contrary to the beliefs of some, language is not sacrosanct; rather, it is subject to constant modification based on the needs, experiences, and even whims of those who use it. Take the word sacrosanct itself, which likely comes from the Latin phrase sacro sanctus meaning “made holy by a sacred rite.” There’s a definite semantic softening from that to the “too important and respected to be changed or criticized” meaning of sacrosanct. But holy moly, has sanctus led to a whole bunch of other English words with truly pious flavor, from saint and sanctimony to sanctify and sanctuary. Sacrum (“a sacred rite”), whence came the sacro in sacro sanctus, is no slouch either, living on in English anatomy as the name for our pelvic vertebrae—a shortening of os sacrum, which literally means “holy bone.”
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Examples of sacrosanct in a Sentence
Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2024
Best practices in a healthcare context, where the confidentiality of the doctor-patient bond is sacrosanct, are centered around safeguarding patient data.
—Par Chadha, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Yet vouchers are unpopular in rural districts across Texas, where Friday night football games are sacrosanct and private schools are scarce.
—Ava Kofman, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2024
Strict walls separating monetary and fiscal policy Central bank independence is considered sacrosanct for modern industrial economies—as important a check and balance when running the economy as the separation of powers between the three branches of the U.S. government.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Sacrosanct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrosanct. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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