sacred
adjective
sa·cred ˈsā-krəd 
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
: unassailable, inviolable
b
: highly valued and important
a sacred responsibility
sacredly adverb
sacredness noun
Synonyms
- hallowed
- holy
- inviolable
- sacrosanct
- unassailable
- untouchable
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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? See More
Recent Examples on the Web Yet traveling through tunnels in the sacred soil of the Holy Land, and across bridges spanning mountains, my practical decision also led to an experience unexpectedly filled with wonder. 
Meir Soloveichik, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Both men manage, by turns, to be profane and sacred, wizened and innocent, seductive and silly. Rumaan Alam, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2022 The Sycuan Powwow is a sacred social gathering held each year by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 At the heart of Siberia is Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, which was once declared sacred by Mongol warlord Genghis Khan. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2022 Home to over 100 Shingon Buddhist temples and the site of Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum, Koyasan is considered to be one of Japan’s most sacred areas. Christina Liao, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2022 Roder also wanted to make a film to explore the story where a remote community in Bhutan claimed that the capital city Thimphu had stolen a sacred song of theirs, performing it on TV, over the radio, on stage, and for entertainment. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 There's such a deep, unique, sacred bond between her and Morpheus. Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Professional scribe Rabbi Yochanan Nathan of Chicago added the final letters to the sacred document at a community event held at Glencoe’s Writers Theatre. Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Meir Soloveichik, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Both men manage, by turns, to be profane and sacred, wizened and innocent, seductive and silly. Rumaan Alam, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2022 The Sycuan Powwow is a sacred social gathering held each year by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 At the heart of Siberia is Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, which was once declared sacred by Mongol warlord Genghis Khan. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2022 Home to over 100 Shingon Buddhist temples and the site of Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum, Koyasan is considered to be one of Japan’s most sacred areas. Christina Liao, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2022 Roder also wanted to make a film to explore the story where a remote community in Bhutan claimed that the capital city Thimphu had stolen a sacred song of theirs, performing it on TV, over the radio, on stage, and for entertainment. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 There's such a deep, unique, sacred bond between her and Morpheus. Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2022 Professional scribe Rabbi Yochanan Nathan of Chicago added the final letters to the sacred document at a community event held at Glencoe’s Writers Theatre. Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from past participle of sacren to consecrate, from Anglo-French sacrer, from Latin sacrare, from sacr-, sacer sacred; akin to Latin sancire to make sacred, Hittite šaklāi- rite
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing sacred
Kids Definition
sacred
adjective
sa·cred ˈsā-krəd
1
: holy sense 1
a sacred shrine
2
: religious sense 2
sacred songs
3
: deserving to be respected and honored
Freedom is a sacred right.
sacred
adjective
1
as in holy
not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with the sacred trust that exists between elected officials and the electorate Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- holy
- protected
- inviolable
- pure
- sacrosanct
- untouchable
- unassailable
- privileged
- hallowed
- inviolate
- secure
- exempt
- immune
- shielded
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blasphemous
- irreverent
- profane
- sacrilegious
2
as in divine
of, relating to, or being God a sacred name that must not be uttered in vain Synonyms & Similar Words
- holy
- divine
- heavenly
- blessed
- eternal
- godlike
- supernatural
- godly
- blest
- immortal
- supreme
- everlasting
- almighty
- omnipotent
- omniscient
- all-powerful
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- natural
- human
- mortal
3
as in religious
of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion a sacred chalice Synonyms & Similar Words
- religious
- spiritual
- holy
- devotional
- liturgical
- ritual
- consecrated
- sacrosanct
- sanctified
- solemn
- sacramental
- hallowed
- blessed
- blest
- semisacred
- semireligious
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- secular
- profane
- earthly
- nonreligious
- mundane
- terrestrial
- worldly
- terrene
4
as in consecrated
set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God the sacred bones of a saint Synonyms & Similar Words
- holy
- consecrated
- venerated
- sacrosanct
- religious
- liturgical
- revered
- sanctified
- sacral
- consecrate
- biblical
- ceremonial
- spiritual
- hallowed
- blessed
- ritual
- worshipped
- blest
- sacramental
- worshiped
- enshrined
- scriptural
- adored
- priestly
- glorified
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unconsecrated
- unhallowed
- secular
- desacralized
- earthly
- profane
- nonreligious
- temporal
- mundane
- deconsecrated
- worldly
- unspiritual
5
as in revered
deserving honor and respect especially by reason of age the alumni procession at graduation is one of the college's most sacred traditions, dating back over a hundred years Synonyms & Similar Words
- revered
- venerable
- venerated
- hallowed
- respected
- honorable
- reverend
- respectable
- reverenced
- honored
- distinguished
- noble
- worthy
- considered
- esteemed
- admirable
- moral
- reputable
- righteous
- good
- estimable
- redoubtable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shameful
- dishonorable
- loose
- disgraceful
- bad
- discreditable
- vile
- ignominious
- infamous
- sordid
- immoral
- notorious
- shadowy
- wicked
- unsavory
- shady
- detestable
- disreputable
- contemptible
- seamy
- wretched
- dirty
- despicable
- base
- low
- mean
- Guinea peach
- guinea pepper
- guinea pig
- guinea plum
- guinea rush
- guinea squash
- Guinea worm
- Guinea worm disease
- Guinea, Gulf of
- Guinea-Bissau
- guinea-hen flower
- guinea-hen weed
- guineae
- Guineaman
- guineamen
- guinean
- guineaner
- guineanest
- liquidizers
- liquidizes
- liquidizing
- liquidly
- liquidness
- liquidnesses
- liquids