What does sacred mean?
Sacred describes something connected with holiness, divinity, or profound reverence. Its clearest use is religious: a sacred text, ritual, place, or object may be associated with worship or treated as set apart for divine purposes. The word can also extend to matters that are solemn, inviolable, or bound by a powerful moral duty, such as a sacred responsibility or a place held in deep respect. This figurative use often conveys more than merely “important,” suggesting that something should be protected from casual treatment or violation. Sacred is common in formal and ceremonial contexts and may sound especially traditional or spiritual in descriptions of religion, nature, memory, and community. Its close relatives in English, including sacrifice, sacrament, sanctify, and sanctuary, reflect the same historical tradition and help show that sacred belongs to a broad vocabulary of religious significance and consecration.
adjectiveSacred means connected with a deity or religious worship, or worthy of deep reverence. By extension, it can describe something solemn, inviolable, or protected by a serious moral or ceremonial obligation.
- Connected with a deity, religious worship, or divine authority.
- Deserving of reverence, solemn respect, or spiritual significance.
- Protected or inviolable, especially by a moral, ceremonial, or communal obligation.
"The ancient stones are regarded as sacred by visitors to the mountain."
"The manuscript contains several sacred texts that are not displayed to the public."
"Protecting the vulnerable became a sacred duty for the community."
"The burial ground is sacred to the families of the victims."
The word sacred comes from the same Latin root that gave us sacrifice, sacrament, sanctuary, and sanctify: a vocabulary of holiness built around sacer, meaning “holy.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sacred come from?
The adjective sacred entered English through Old French sacré, ultimately from Latin sacer, meaning “holy” or “sacred.” The related Latin forms developed through the stem sacri-, which appears in words such as sacrifice, sacrament, and sanctify. English borrowed many of these religious terms from Latin, sometimes through French, producing a family of words concerned with holiness, ritual, consecration, and protection.
Related word forms
How sacred is actually used
Sacred is formal and often elevated in tone. It can describe religious matters directly, as in sacred music, but also convey strong moral or communal reverence in secular contexts.
Easily confused with sacred
Sacred means holy, revered, or inviolable, whereas scared means frightened or anxious.