What does enshrining mean?
"Enshrining" is the present participle of the verb "enshrine," which originally meant to place a relic or sacred object inside a shrine. Over time, the word developed a powerful figurative meaning: to fix a principle, right, or memory so securely in a law, constitution, institution, or collective consciousness that it becomes effectively permanent and worthy of reverence. When we say a charter is enshrining freedom of expression, we mean that the right is not merely mentioned but given formal, enduring protection. The word carries strongly positive connotations of solemnity, care, and durability, and it appears most often in legal, political, and memorial writing rather than everyday conversation. Its literal religious use survives mainly in discussions of cathedrals, relics, and pilgrimage traditions. To enshrine something is to treat it as sacrosanct — a vivid metaphor that explains why the term remains a favorite of drafters of constitutions and writers of tributes alike.
verb (present participle and gerund of enshrine)The act of placing something sacred or treasured in a shrine, or figuratively, preserving or embedding an idea, right, or value so that it is protected and treated as authoritative.
- To preserve or cherish something as sacred, literally by placing it in a shrine.
- To embed a principle, right, or value firmly and permanently in a document, institution, or tradition so it is formally protected.
"The new constitution was praised for enshrining the right to free speech."
"Pilgrims spent decades enshrining the relics within the cathedral's high altar."
"The treaty was celebrated for enshrining the principles of human dignity into international law."
When a right is 'enshrined' in law, lawmakers are borrowing a word for placing relics in a shrine — your freedoms get the same treatment as a saint's bones.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enshrining
Enshrining derives from "enshrine," formed in English from the prefix "en-" plus "shrine." "Shrine" itself comes from Latin "scrinium," meaning a chest or case for scrolls, which passed through Old French before entering Middle English. The verb arose in English around the early 17th century, first in its literal sense of enclosing sacred objects, with the figurative legal and moral sense developing later. It thus shares its root with the noun "shrine" and related words tracing back to the same Latin source.
Related word forms
How enshrining is actually used
Formal to elevated in register; overwhelmingly used in its figurative sense today — legal, political, and commemorative contexts dominate. The literal shrine sense is now rare outside historical or religious writing. Almost always carries a positive connotation of permanence and reverence.
Easily confused with enshrining
'Enclosing' means surrounding or containing something physically, whereas 'enshrining' implies preserving something with reverence or formal protection.