English Dictionary

Definition of “sanctuary”

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sanctuary (ˈsæŋktjʊərɪ)

Definitions

noun

a holy place
a consecrated building or shrine
Old Testament
1. the Israelite temple at Jerusalem, esp the holy of holies
2. the tabernacle in which the Ark was enshrined during the wanderings of the Israelites
the chancel, or that part of a sacred building surrounding the main altar
1. a sacred building where fugitives were formerly entitled to immunity from arrest or execution
2. the immunity so afforded
a place of refuge; asylum
a place, protected by law, where animals, esp birds, can live and breed without interference

Word Origin

C14: from Old French sainctuarie, from Late Latin sanctuārium repository for holy things, from Latin sanctus holy

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry

= protection, shelter, refuge, haven, retreat, asylum,

= reserve, park, preserve, reservation, national park, tract, nature reserve, conservation area,

= shrine, church, temple, altar, sanctum, Holy of Holies,

Usage examples

There was no sign of a reserved sacrament, no sanctuary lamp, no lingering whiff of incense.
Townsend, Eileen, In Love and War (1989)
They have already killed 440 minke whales in a recent hunt in the Southern Ocean sanctuary.
New Scientist (2004)
The U. S. accuses al-Sadr and the insurgents of using holy places to store weapons and to seek sanctuary.
CBC (2004)
The pair show me some prototypes for the sanctuary they were commissioned to make for the Chaplaincy Centre at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
A few weeks after Khan's death, I popped into a local animal sanctuary.
Jan Fennell, Foreword by Monty Roberts, THE DOG LISTENER: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (2002)

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