sanctuary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a place where you feel safe and protected from trouble or danger.
a place of refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or external danger.
Simple“After a long day at the office, her garden was a quiet sanctuary where she could relax.”
In context“The embassy provided a temporary sanctuary for the political dissidents until safe passage out of the country could be negotiated.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
an area of land where animals and plants are protected from people.
a reserved area of land where wildlife is protected from hunting or habitat destruction.
Simple“The island is a bird sanctuary where thousands of rare species come to nest.”
In context“Environmentalists lobbied the government to designate the coastal wetlands as a marine sanctuary to prevent further industrial development.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
the state of being protected from danger or the law.
the condition of being protected or the immunity from arrest afforded by a sacred place.
Simple“In the past, people could find sanctuary from the law by entering a church.”
In context“The fugitive sought sanctuary within the cathedral walls, invoking an ancient custom that prevented local authorities from making an arrest on holy ground.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
the most holy part of a religious building, usually near the altar.
the most sacred part of a religious building, such as the area around the altar in a Christian church.
Simple“Only the priests were allowed to enter the inner sanctuary during the ceremony.”
In context“The restoration project focused on the intricate gold leafing and marble work within the church's sanctuary, which had been damaged by smoke over the centuries.”
“As well as rollercoasters, it is home to the largest sanctuary for non-releasable bald eagles in the world.”
“The animals he photographs are usually in human care at zoos, aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries and science laboratories.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.