# sacred

/ˈseɪkɹəd/ (US) · /sˈeɪkɹəd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sacred
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. holy or religious

adjective · CEFR B2

connected to a god or a religion and treated with great respect.

For teachers: consecrated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; considered holy.

- The monks consider the mountain to be sacred and visit it every year to pray.
- The temple was built on sacred ground, and visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering the inner sanctum.

### 2. not to be changed

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

too important to be changed, ignored, or treated badly.

For teachers: regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with; inviolable.

- In many families, the time spent eating dinner together is sacred.
- The right to free speech is seen as a sacred principle of their democracy, one that the government is sworn to protect at all costs.

### 3. religious music or art

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

relating to religious music or art rather than popular or secular styles.

For teachers: relating to religious rites or symbols; specifically used to categorise music, art, or literature intended for worship.

- The choir performed a beautiful piece of sacred music during the ceremony.
- The university's music department offers a specialised course in the history of sacred choral works from the Renaissance period.

## Examples

- The cows are considered sacred in this culture.
- The monks spent years restoring the sacred texts that had been damaged during the war.
- While the site is no longer used for formal worship, it remains sacred to the local community as a symbol of their ancestral heritage and spiritual resilience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.