What does sanctuary mean?

Definitions for sanctuary
ˈsæŋk tʃuˌɛr isanc·tu·a·ry

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word sanctuary.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. sanctuarynoun

    a consecrated place where sacred objects are kept

  2. refuge, sanctuary, asylumnoun

    a shelter from danger or hardship

  3. chancel, sanctuary, bemanoun

    area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing

Wiktionary

  1. sanctuarynoun

    A place of safety, refuge or protection.

    My car is a sanctuary, where none can disturb me except for people who cut me off.

  2. sanctuarynoun

    An area set aside for protection.

    The bird sanctuary has strict restrictions on visitors so the birds aren't disturbed.

  3. sanctuarynoun

    A state of being protected, asylum.

    The government granted sanctuary to the defector, protecting him from his former government.

  4. sanctuarynoun

    The consecrated (or sacred) area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.

  5. Etymology: From sanctuary, from saintuaire, from sanctuarium, from sanctus; see saint.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. SANCTUARYnoun

    Etymology: sanctuaire, Fr. sanctuarium, Latin.

    Having waste ground enough,
    Shall we desire to raze the sanctuary,
    And pitch our evils there. William Shakespeare.

    They often plac’d
    Within his sanctuary itself their shrines. John Milton.

    Let it not be imagined, that they contribute nothing to the happiness of the country who only serve God in the duties of a holy life, who attend his sanctuary, and daily address his goodness. John Rogers, Sermons.

    Come, my boy, we will to sanctuary. William Shakespeare, R. III.

    I’ll hence forthwith unto the sanctuary,
    To save at least the heir of Edward’s right. William Shakespeare, H. VI.

    Oft have I heard of sanctuary men;
    But sanctuary children, ne’er ’till now. William Shakespeare, R. III.

    He fled to Beverly, where he and divers of his company registered themselves sanctuary men. Francis Bacon, Henry VII.

    Howsoever the sanctuary man was protected from his creditors, yet his goods out of sanctuary should not. Francis Bacon, H. VII.

    This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill. John Milton.

    What are the bulls to the frogs, or the lakes to the meadows? Very much, says the frog; for he that’s worsted will be sure to take sanctuary in the fens. Roger L'Estrange.

    The admirable works of painting were made fuel for the fire; but some reliques of it took sanctuary under ground, and escaped the common destiny. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.

Wikipedia

  1. Sanctuary

    A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a safe place for people, such as a political sanctuary; and non-human sanctuary, such as an animal or plant sanctuary.

ChatGPT

  1. sanctuary

    A sanctuary is a place of safety or refuge, often associated with a sacred or protected space. It can be a specific physical location, such as a church, temple, or wildlife refuge, where certain protections are in place. The term can also be used metaphorically to denote any place where one feels particularly safe, secure, or at peace.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Sanctuarynoun

    a sacred place; a consecrated spot; a holy and inviolable site

  2. Sanctuarynoun

    the most retired part of the temple at Jerusalem, called the Holy of Holies, in which was kept the ark of the covenant, and into which no person was permitted to enter except the high priest, and he only once a year, to intercede for the people; also, the most sacred part of the tabernacle; also, the temple at Jerusalem

  3. Sanctuarynoun

    the most sacred part of any religious building, esp. that part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed

  4. Sanctuarynoun

    a house consecrated to the worship of God; a place where divine service is performed; a church, temple, or other place of worship

  5. Sanctuarynoun

    a sacred and inviolable asylum; a place of refuge and protection; shelter; refuge; protection

  6. Etymology: [OE. seintuarie, OF. saintuaire, F. sanctuaire, fr. L. sanctuarium, from sanctus sacred, holy. See Saint.]

Wikidata

  1. Sanctuary

    A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a safe haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a safe place for humans, such as a political sanctuary; and non-human sanctuary, such as an animal or plant sanctuary.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

  1. sanctuary

    A nation or area near or contiguous to the combat area that, by tacit agreement between the warring powers, is exempt from attack and therefore serves as a refuge for staging, logistic, or other activities of the combatant powers.

Suggested Resources

  1. sanctuary

    Song lyrics by sanctuary -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by sanctuary on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce sanctuary?

How to say sanctuary in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of sanctuary in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of sanctuary in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of sanctuary in a Sentence

  1. President Barack Obama:

    Submerged countries, abandoned cities, fields that no longer grow. Political disruptions that trigger new conflicts, leaving more floods of desperate people seeking sanctuary in nations not their own.

  2. Kyle McCarter:

    And this isn't just the 'right wing' that's angry. These are union members too, loyal union men trying to protect American jobs, and the last thing they need to see is a Republican governor making Illinois a sanctuary state.

  3. Gary Grasso:

    We’re more than happy for people to find freedom, it is hypocrisy by the mayor of Chicago to complain about the governor of Texas – I do agree with what he’s doing – the city of Chicago says it’s going to be a sanctuary city which I oppose – but there must be vacant hotel rooms in Chicago. This is hundreds of people in a city of millions. Why are they sending them out to the Republican suburbs? You have to wonder.

  4. Stephen Yale-Loehr:

    What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, if the Supreme Court rules that federal government no longer as sole responsibility for regulating immigration, lower courts may uphold pro-immigrant or sanctuary or non cooperation polices enacted by states and localities.

  5. Taryn Fenske:

    States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden administration’s open border policies.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

sanctuary#10000#10384#100000

Translations for sanctuary

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for sanctuary »

Translation

Find a translation for the sanctuary definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"sanctuary." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/sanctuary>.

Discuss these sanctuary definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for sanctuary? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    sanctuary

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
    A serendipity
    B ignominy
    C wavering
    D breastwork

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for sanctuary: