asylum en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /əˈsaɪləm/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) Ancient Greek σύλη (súlē) Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek ἄσυλος (ásulos) Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Hellenic *-on Ancient Greek -ον (-on) Ancient Greek ἄσυλον (ásulon)bor. Latin asȳlumlbor. English asylum Learned borrowing from Latin asȳlum, borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄσυλον (ásulon).
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A place of safety or refuge.
The first resolution she could take, in the present flutter of her spirits, was to make the best of her way to London, where she thought she might find an asylum in the house of a female relation, married to an eminent physician, known by the name of Kawdle.
1835, Tobias Smollett, Walter Scott, Select Works of Tobias Smollett With a Memoir of the Life and Writings of the Author, volume 2, page 265:All the busy concerns of daily existence were utterly abhorrent to me. I loathed the sound of others' voices—I hated to be mixed up with their petty routine of ordinary cares; here was an asylum offered to me—here I might lay down all the offices of humanity, and dwell beside that grave whose rest was now my only desire.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXVIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 295:
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(uncountable) The protection, physical and legal, afforded by such a place (as, for example, for political refugees).
So lawyers started filing separate asylum requests for the children, arguing that reintegrating in countries they barely knew, after spending their childhood or adolescence in Belgium, would not only be impossible but would expose them to serious risks.
2020 August 5, Francesca Spinelli, “Meet David: born in France, raised in Belgium, facing removal to the DRC”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 05 Jan 2021:
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(countable, dated, uncountable) A place of protection or restraint for one or more classes of the disadvantaged, especially the mentally ill.
Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| asyla | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| asylums | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
asylophobic · Khia asylum · khia asylum · political asylum · asylum shopping · insane asylum · orphan asylum · the lunatics have taken over the asylum · mental asylum · asylumlike · lunatic asylum · asylum hotel · Magdalene asylum · asylum seeker · asylee
Synonyms
Translations (153)
pl szpital psychiatryczny (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ta தஞ்சம் (place of safety) · it asilo (place of safety) · kk пана (place of safety) · ta அடைக்கலம் (place of safety) · ru психу́шка (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · fi mielisairaala (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ru психиатри́ческая лече́бница (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ja 養護施設 (place of safety) · de Asyl (place of safety) · mk азил (place of safety) · uz joy (place of safety) · ps پناه (place of safety) · mt refuġju (place of safety) · ru дурдо́м (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · sl azil (place of safety) · mt manikomju (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · sh у̀точӣште (place of safety) · ru психиатри́ческая больни́ца (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · az pənah (place of safety) · sk azyl (place of safety) · id suaka (place of safety) · tg паноҳ (place of safety) · hi पनाहगाह (place of safety) · ro azil (place of safety) · bg убе́жище (place of safety) · uz panohgoh (place of safety) · cs útočiště (place of safety) · ja アサイラム (place of safety) · enm grith (place of safety) · uk психіатри́чна ліка́рня (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · id asilum (place of safety) · de psychiatrische Anstalt (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · kmr penageh (place of safety) · ky башкалка (place of safety) · sl pribežališče (place of safety) · nl asiel (place of safety) · ru приста́нище (place of safety) · oc asil (place of safety) · uz panoh (place of safety) · ru прибе́жище (place of safety) · my ခိုလှုံခွင့် (place of safety) · tl kalingaan (place of safety) · kk баспана (place of safety) · sq azil (place of safety) · vi viện cứu tế (place of safety) · hi शरण (place of safety) · ru сумасше́дший дом (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ar مَلْجَأ (place of safety) · ja アジール (place of safety) · km ទីជ្រកកោន (place of safety) · kk бассауға (place of safety) · ro sanctuar (place of safety) · pt asilo (place of safety) · ko 피난처 (place of safety) · ru убе́жище (place of safety) · pl przytułek (place of safety) · az sığıncaq (place of safety) · da asyl (place of safety) · ka თავშესაფარი (place of safety) · it manicomio (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · mn орогнол (place of safety) · sl zatočišče (place of safety) · ru психбольни́ца (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · cmn 庇護 /庇护 (place of safety) · hu menhely (place of safety) · lv patvērums (place of safety) · sa ओकस् (place of safety) · hu menedékhely (place of safety) · ar لُجُوء (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ta மனநல காப்பகம் (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · uz boshpana (place of safety) · ro adăpost (place of safety) · pt manicómio (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · eo azilo (place of safety) · cs azyl (place of safety) · uk приту́лок (place of safety) · sv asyl (place of safety) · et asüül (place of safety) · bg лу́дница (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · lt prieglobstis (place of safety) · he מִקְלָט (place of safety) · pl dom obłąkanych (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ug پاناھگاھ (place of safety) · fa-ira پَناهْگاه (place of safety) · ga gealtlann (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · lt prieglauda (place of safety) · km បដិសរណដ្ឋាន (place of safety) · grc ἄσυλον (place of safety) · ar مَوْئِل (place of safety) · mi hōhipera mate hinengaro (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · sv mentalsjukhus (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · uk божеві́льня (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · pt hospício (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · hi पनाह (place of safety) · id perlindungan (place of safety) · ms suaka (place of safety) · be псыхіятры́чны шпіта́ль (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ug جاي (place of safety) · ca asil (place of safety) · sh àzīl (place of safety) · cy lloches (place of safety) · es asilo (place of safety) · nn asyl (place of safety) · fa-ira پَناه (place of safety) · el άσυλο (place of safety) · ug باشپانا (place of safety) · et varjupaik (place of safety) · hu elmegyógyintézet (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · is skjól (place of safety) · ur پَناہ (place of safety) · sk útočište (place of safety) · ko 망명 (place of safety) · sh ùtočīšte (place of safety) · be прыту́лак (place of safety) · ur پَناہ گاہ (place of safety) · nl psychiatrische instelling (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ga tearmann (place of safety) · cmn 避難所 /避难所 (place of safety) · cy seilam (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · fi turvapaikka (place of safety) · hi पागलख़ाना (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · sh а̀зӣл (place of safety) · be вар'я́цкі дом (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · pt manicômio (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ru прию́т (place of safety) · eo psikiatria hospitalo (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · nb asyl (place of safety) · pl azyl (place of safety) · is hæli (place of safety) · acw مَلْجَأ (place of safety) · mk прибежиште (place of safety) · mi piringa (place of safety) · id pengungsian (place of safety) · ro azil (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · eo azilo (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · hy ապաստան (place of safety) · tr sığınak (place of safety) · ps پناه ګاه (place of safety) · fr asile (place of safety) · tk gaçybatalga (place of safety) · ug پاناھ (place of safety) · es santuario (place of safety) · cmn 精神病院 (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · ja 避難所 (place of safety) · bn পানা (place of safety) · fr asile psychiatrique (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · es manicomio (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · tr iltica (place of safety) · gl asilo (place of safety) · cy gwallgofdy (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · mk лудница (mental asylum — see also mental hospital) · tg паноҳгоҳ (place of safety)