Sacrosanct
adjective /ˈsæk.rəʊ.sæŋkt/ — Too important or holy to be questioned or violated
Definition
Regarded as too sacred, important, or inviolable to be interfered with — possessing a status that places it beyond ordinary criticism or change.
Beyond the definition
The protective force of the genuinely sacred. What is sacrosanct has earned its protection — it is not just claimed to be important but is.
Origin & history
From Latin 'sacrosanctus' — 'sacer' (sacred) + 'sanctus' (holy). The combination intensifies both: what is sacrosanct is doubly consecrated.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The right to peaceful protest is sacrosanct in any functioning democracy.
She treated her Sunday mornings as sacrosanct — nothing was allowed to interrupt them.
The question of which traditions are genuinely sacrosanct and which are merely claimed to be is always worth asking.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Sacrosanct” when the meaning fits your context: Regarded as too sacred, important, or inviolable to be interfered with — possessing a status that places it beyond ordinary criticism or change.
Synonyms
Antonyms
violable, ordinary, negotiable
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Weight of Formal Legal Process
An adult stands in a vast, quiet, wood-paneled courtroom, holding a single document, emphasizing the weight and seriousness of the environment.
A sacrosanct item or space is beyond interference. The formal, vast, and silent courtroom environment, coupled with the focused adult and the single document, conveys a setting where the processes of law are treated as inviolable, representing a space where ordinary criticism cannot interfere with the serious judicial authority.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Sacrosanct" mean?
Sacrosanct is adjective meaning: Too important or holy to be questioned or violated. Regarded as too sacred, important, or inviolable to be interfered with — possessing a status that places it beyond ordinary criticism or change.
Where does the word "Sacrosanct" come from?
From Latin 'sacrosanctus' — 'sacer' (sacred) + 'sanctus' (holy). The combination intensifies both: what is sacrosanct is doubly consecrated.