# sacrifice

/ˈsækɹəˌfaɪs/ (US) · /sˈækɹɪfˌaɪs/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. giving something up

noun · CEFR B2

the act of giving up something you value to help another person or to achieve a specific goal.

For teachers: the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher claim.

- Her parents made many sacrifices so that she could go to a good university.
- The project's success required a significant sacrifice of personal time from every member of the development team.

### 2. religious offering

noun · CEFR B2

the act of killing an animal or offering an object to a god as part of a religious ceremony.

For teachers: the ritual slaughter of an animal or person, or the offering of a possession, as an act of propitiation or homage to a deity.

- In ancient times, people offered a sheep as a sacrifice to ensure a good harvest.
- The high priest performed the annual sacrifice at the altar to appease the gods and protect the city from plague.

### 3. selling at a loss

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

selling something for much less money than it is actually worth.

For teachers: a sale of goods at a price significantly below their market value, typically resulting in a financial loss.

- He had to sell his car at a real sacrifice because he needed the cash immediately.
- The liquidator sold off the remaining inventory at a massive sacrifice to satisfy the primary creditors before the end of the fiscal year.

### 4. games and sports

noun · CEFR B2

an intentional move that loses a piece or a turn to get a better position later.

For teachers: the intentional loss of a piece in chess or a batter's out in baseball to gain a strategic advantage.

- The player made a clever sacrifice of his knight to trap the opponent's queen.
- The batter's sacrifice allowed the runner on third base to score the winning run in the final inning.

### 5. to give something up

verb · CEFR B2

to give up something important for a special reason.

For teachers: to surrender or give up something for the sake of an alternative or higher priority.

- They had to sacrifice their summer holiday to pay for the house repairs.
- The architect refused to sacrifice the building's aesthetic integrity simply to reduce the construction costs.

### 6. to kill for science

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to kill an animal for a scientific experiment.

For teachers: to kill an animal for the purpose of scientific research or testing.

- The lab mice were sacrificed at the end of the study to examine their tissues.
- Ethical guidelines require that animals be sacrificed humanely once the experimental data has been collected.

## Examples

- Parents make sacrifices for their children.
- Moving to a smaller apartment was a necessary sacrifice to save money for a house.
- The treaty required a significant sacrifice of national sovereignty, a point its critics emphasized during the heated parliamentary debates.

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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.