Sacred — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈsā-krəd/ sa·cred

Meaning & Definition of Sacred

Sacred (adjective)

  1. dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity
  2. devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose)
  3. worthy of religious veneration, holy

Sacred (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with

    "the sacred trust that exists between elected officials and the electorate"

    similar: hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct, unassailable, untouchable
    related: inviolate, pure, privileged, protected, secure, shielded, exempt, immune
    near: blasphemous, irreverent, profane, sacrilegious

  2. of, relating to, or being God

    "a sacred name that must not be uttered in vain"

    similar: blessed, divine, godlike, godly, heavenly, holy, supernatural
    related: eternal, everlasting, immortal, all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, supreme
    near: human, mortal, natural

  3. of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion

    "a sacred chalice"

    similar: devotional, religious, spiritual
    related: blessed, consecrated, hallowed, holy, sacrosanct, sanctified, solemn, liturgical, ritual, sacramental, semireligious, semisacred
    opposite: nonreligious, profane, secular
    near: earthly, mundane, terrene, terrestrial, worldly

  4. set apart or worthy of veneration by association with God

    "the sacred bones of a saint"

    similar: blessed, consecrate, consecrated, hallowed, holy, sacral, sacrosanct, sanctified
    related: adored, enshrined, glorified, revered, venerated, worshipped, ceremonial, liturgical, priestly, religious, ritual, sacramental, spiritual, biblical, scriptural
    opposite: deconsecrated, desacralized, unconsecrated, unhallowed
    near: nonreligious, unspiritual, earthly, mundane, profane, secular, temporal, worldly

  5. 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"

    similar: hallowed, revered, reverend, venerable, venerated
    related: honorable, reputable, respectable, considered, esteemed, honored, respected, reverenced, admirable, distinguished, estimable, redoubtable, worthy, good, moral, noble, righteous
    near: bad, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, ignominious, infamous, loose, notorious, shameful, immoral, seamy, shadowy, shady, sordid, unsavory, vile, wicked, base, contemptible, despicable, detestable, dirty, low, mean, wretched

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sacred

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sacred:

hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct, unassailable, untouchable, blessed, divine, godlike, godly, heavenly, supernatural, devotional, religious, spiritual, consecrate, consecrated, sacral, sanctified, revered, reverend, venerable, venerated

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sacred

Words with the opposite meaning of Sacred:

nonreligious, profane, secular, deconsecrated, desacralized, unconsecrated, unhallowed

Related Words for Sacred

inviolate, pure, privileged, protected, secure, shielded, exempt, immune, eternal, everlasting, immortal, all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, supreme, solemn, liturgical, ritual, sacramental, semireligious, semisacred, adored, enshrined, glorified, worshipped, ceremonial, priestly, biblical, scriptural

Near Antonyms of Sacred

blasphemous, irreverent, sacrilegious, human, mortal, natural, earthly, mundane, terrene, terrestrial, worldly, unspiritual, temporal, bad, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, ignominious, infamous, loose, notorious, shameful, immoral, seamy, shadowy, shady, sordid, unsavory, vile

Word Forms of Sacred

Derived words: sacredly (adverb), sacredness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Sacred

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

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Sacred

Words & Phrases Containing Sacred

sacred baboon, sacred cow, sacred fig, sacred mushroom

Frequently Asked Questions about Sacred

What does "Sacred" mean?

"Sacred" means dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity. As an adjective, it is defined as: dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sacred"?

Other words for "Sacred" include hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct, unassailable, untouchable, blessed and divine. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sacred" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sacred"?

There are 70 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sacred". Common alternatives include hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct, unassailable, untouchable, blessed, divine, godlike and godly.

What is the opposite of "Sacred"?

Antonyms of "Sacred" include nonreligious, profane, secular, deconsecrated, desacralized, unconsecrated and unhallowed. Near antonyms include blasphemous, irreverent, sacrilegious and human.

How do you use "Sacred" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sacred" in a sentence: "the sacred trust that exists between elected officials and the electorate"; "a sacred name that must not be uttered in vain"; "a sacred chalice".

Is "Sacred" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Sacred" is an adjective.

Is "Sacred" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Sacred" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Sacred"?

"Sacred" is pronounced /ˈsā-krəd/ and divided into syllables as sa·cred.