sacrament
noun
sac·ra·ment ˈsa-krə-mənt 
1
a
: a Christian rite (such as baptism or the Eucharist) that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality
b
: a religious rite or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament
2
capitalized
a
: communion sense 2a
b
: blessed sacrament
3
: something likened to a religious sacrament
saw voting as a sacrament of democracy
Example Sentences
They stood in line to receive the Sacrament.
Recent Examples on the Web There are menorahs now on the edges of the inlet where a priest would prepare a sacrament. 
Anna Deforest, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 But will competing stances on these sensitive subjects now sneak into sacrament talks, Sunday lessons and foyer chats? David Noyce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 July 2022 Water is an important part of the Latter-day Saint sacrament, or communion. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Apr. 2022 The real scandal is damage the archbishop is doing to the church and to those who find spiritual nourishment in a holy sacrament by doubling down on a culture-war strategy that his own pope has insisted is dangerous. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 May 2022 The archbishop’s decision shows brazen disregard for Pope Francis and other Vatican officials who have warned U.S. bishops not to weaponize a holy sacrament. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 May 2022 No one is worthy to receive communion, but Jesus gave us the sacrament of reconciliation. WSJ, 27 July 2022 At least one priest holds up to five masses each Sunday, strapping on a flak jacket and driving the sacrament from church to church. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 The painting commemorates a Christian sacrament, but it is framed with Native dancers and an Indigenous sport where men suspended on ropes from their ankles or waists whirl around a tall wooden post — sort of an extreme maypole. Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2022 See More
Anna Deforest, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 But will competing stances on these sensitive subjects now sneak into sacrament talks, Sunday lessons and foyer chats? David Noyce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 July 2022 Water is an important part of the Latter-day Saint sacrament, or communion. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Apr. 2022 The real scandal is damage the archbishop is doing to the church and to those who find spiritual nourishment in a holy sacrament by doubling down on a culture-war strategy that his own pope has insisted is dangerous. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 May 2022 The archbishop’s decision shows brazen disregard for Pope Francis and other Vatican officials who have warned U.S. bishops not to weaponize a holy sacrament. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 May 2022 No one is worthy to receive communion, but Jesus gave us the sacrament of reconciliation. WSJ, 27 July 2022 At least one priest holds up to five masses each Sunday, strapping on a flak jacket and driving the sacrament from church to church. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 The painting commemorates a Christian sacrament, but it is framed with Native dancers and an Indigenous sport where men suspended on ropes from their ankles or waists whirl around a tall wooden post — sort of an extreme maypole. Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English sacrement, sacrament, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin sacramentum, from Latin, oath of allegiance, obligation, from sacrare to consecrate
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
sacrament
noun
sac·ra·ment ˈsa-krə-mənt
: a Christian religious act or ceremony that is considered especially sacred