sanctuary en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈsæŋkt͡ʃuˌɛɹi/ (General-American)
- /ˈsæŋkt͡ʃʊəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈsæŋktjʊəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English seyntuarie, from Old French saintuaire, from Late Latin sanctuarium (“a sacred place, a shrine, a private cabinet, in Medieval Latin also temple, church, churchyard, cemetery, right of asylum”), from Latin sanctus (“holy, sacred”); see saint.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A place of safety, refuge, or protection.
She saw him, even as she had last gazed upon him, pale, cold, and awful; but still he was there. The coffin was to her like a shrine; all that she held most dear and most precious was within its dark and silent sanctuary.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Last Night with the Dead”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 315:My car is a sanctuary, where none can disturb me except for people who cut me off.
‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying. ‘An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War.[…]’
1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:In January, federal agents indicted 16 sanctuary leaders from Texas and Arizona on charges of helping to harbor illegal immigrants from Central America.
1985 February 9, “Political Asylum Demand”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 29, page 2:
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(countable, uncountable) An area set aside for protection.
The bird sanctuary has strict restrictions on visitors so the birds aren't disturbed.
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(countable, uncountable) A state of being protected, asylum.
The government granted sanctuary to the defector, protecting him from his former government.
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(countable, uncountable) The consecrated (or sacred) area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.
Near-synonym: chancel (broadly synonymous)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sanctuaries | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Second Amendment sanctuary · mantuary · ecosanctuary · sanctuarylike · sanctuary city · unsanctuaried · gun sanctuary · sanctuaried · sanctuarize · animal sanctuary · cybersanctuary · protosanctuary · wildlife sanctuary
Synonyms
haven · chancel[Appendix:Glossary · presbytery · zoar · presbyterium · refuge · shelter
Translations (155)
nl heiligdom (consecrated area) · pl sanktuarium (place of safety or protection) · ca santuari (consecrated area) · grc ἄδυτον (consecrated area) · de Zuflucht (place of safety or protection) · ru прию́т (place of safety or protection) · he מסתור m mistor (place of safety or protection) · ja 避難所 (place of safety or protection) · ru резерва́ция (area set aside for protection) · fr asile (state of being protected) · nb tilfluktssted (place of safety or protection) · nb fristed (place of safety or protection) · xag 𐕌𐕒𐕡𐕟𐕒𐕡𐕙𐕒𐕡𐕎 (consecrated area) · lv patversme (place of safety or protection) · cy seintwar (consecrated area) · pt refúgio (place of safety or protection) · ru убе́жище (state of being protected) · ru прибе́жище (place of safety or protection) · cmn 避難所 /避难所 (place of safety or protection) · mk прибе́жиште (place of safety or protection) · cs svatyně (consecrated area) · bg резерват (area set aside for protection) · no reservat (area set aside for protection) · ca presbiteri (consecrated area) · cu оубѣжище (place of safety or protection) · grc ἄσυλον (area set aside for protection) · hi शरणालय (place of safety or protection) · mi wāhi tapu (consecrated area) · mk резерва́т (area set aside for protection) · ru зака́зник (area set aside for protection) · la fanum (state of being protected) · he מתחם קודש m mitkham kodesh (consecrated area) · ja 聖域 (consecrated area) · ga tearmann (state of being protected) · pl sanktuarium (consecrated area) · fi suojelualue (area set aside for protection) · la sacrarium (consecrated area) · fi rauhoitusalue (area set aside for protection) · ro sanctuar (place of safety or protection) · lv patvērums (state of being protected) · pl sanktuarium (area set aside for protection) · cy noddfa (place of safety or protection) · nn tilfluktsstad (place of safety or protection) · af asiel (state of being protected) · pt santuário (consecrated area) · la sacrarium (area set aside for protection) · ro adăpost (place of safety or protection) · af hawe (area set aside for protection) · mk прибе́жиште (state of being protected) · cs útočiště (place of safety or protection) · lv svētnīca (consecrated area) · la fanum (area set aside for protection) · he מחסה n makhasse (place of safety or protection) · et pühamu (place of safety or protection) · cy seintwar (place of safety or protection) · txb waste (place of safety or protection) · es santuario (consecrated area) · el άδυτο (consecrated area) · nn tilflukt (state of being protected) · ru запове́дник (area set aside for protection) · ro refugiu (place of safety or protection) · fi turvapaikka (place of safety or protection) · cy cysegrfa (consecrated area) · enm grith (state of being protected) · nb asyl (place of safety or protection) · it rifugio (place of safety or protection) · ang friþstōw (place of safety or protection) · mi kāinga punanga (place of safety or protection) · sv fristad (place of safety or protection) · sv tillflyktsort (place of safety or protection) · hu szentély (consecrated area) · hu védett terület (area set aside for protection) · it sancta sanctorum (consecrated area) · ro sanctuar (consecrated area) · el ιερό (consecrated area) · cmn 聖所 /圣所 (consecrated area) · bg светилище (place of safety or protection) · enm grith (area set aside for protection) · mi whenua rāhui (area set aside for protection) · da tilflugtssted (place of safety or protection) · da helle (place of safety or protection) · nn fristad (place of safety or protection) · ang ġebeorg (state of being protected) · el καταφύγιο (place of safety or protection) · eo sanktejo (consecrated area) · mi āhuru mōwai (place of safety or protection) · et varjupaik (area set aside for protection) · sv tillflykt (place of safety or protection) · mi wāhi whakaruru (place of safety or protection) · hu védettség (state of being protected) · hu szentély (place of safety or protection) · et varjupaik (place of safety or protection) · id suaka (state of being protected) · pt santuário (area set aside for protection) · id suaka (area set aside for protection) · uk приту́лок (place of safety or protection) · tr sığınak (place of safety or protection) · mi whakamaurutanga (place of safety or protection) · ro azil (state of being protected) · nn asyl (state of being protected) · mk засолну́вање (state of being protected) · sv sanktuarium (consecrated area) · hu menedékhely (area set aside for protection) · ro rezervație (area set aside for protection) · af toevlugsoord (area set aside for protection) · nb tilflukt (state of being protected) · tr mabet (place of safety or protection) · ang hāliġnes (consecrated area) · mk засо́лниште (place of safety or protection) · la tūtum (place of safety or protection) · ga tearmann (area set aside for protection) · af heiligdom (consecrated area) · fr refuge (place of safety or protection) · el καταφύγιο (area set aside for protection) · it santuario (consecrated area) · mk свети́лиште (consecrated area) · fr sanctuaire (consecrated area) · fi pyhäkkö (consecrated area) · da fristed (place of safety or protection) · gl santuario (consecrated area) · de Herberge (place of safety or protection) · mi wāhi rāhui (area set aside for protection) · mi whakamaurutanga (state of being protected) · nb asyl (state of being protected) · nn asyl (place of safety or protection) · txb śarāṃ (place of safety or protection) · nb helligdom (consecrated area) · he מקלט m miklat (place of safety or protection) · nn heilagdom (consecrated area) · el άσυλο (state of being protected) · he שמורה m shmurá (area set aside for protection) · grc ἄσυλον (state of being protected) · ang friþstōw (area set aside for protection) · cy seintwar (area set aside for protection) · bg убежище (state of being protected) · af vryplaas (place of safety or protection) · et pühamu (consecrated area) · enm grith (place of safety or protection) · grc ἄσυλον (place of safety or protection) · fi turvapaikka (state of being protected) · nn livd (state of being protected) · he מפלט m miflat (place of safety or protection) · bg олтар (consecrated area) · ga tearmann (place of safety or protection) · he מקלט m miklat (state of being protected) · fr réserve (area set aside for protection) · mi rāhuitanga (state of being protected) · af toevlugsoord (place of safety or protection) · gd tèarmann (place of safety or protection) · lv liegums (area set aside for protection) · ru святи́лище (consecrated area) · mi punanga (place of safety or protection) · ru убе́жище (place of safety or protection) · de Asyl (state of being protected) · ru алта́рь (consecrated area)