Definitions
01a safe place
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a place where you feel safe and protected from trouble or danger.
n. a place of refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or external danger.
“After a long day at the office, her garden was a quiet sanctuary where she could relax.”
“The embassy provided a temporary sanctuary for the political dissidents until safe passage out of the country could be negotiated.”
02nature reserve
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science
n. an area of land where animals and plants are protected from people.
n. a reserved area of land where wildlife is protected from hunting or habitat destruction.
“The island is a bird sanctuary where thousands of rare species come to nest.”
“Environmentalists lobbied the government to designate the coastal wetlands as a marine sanctuary to prevent further industrial development.”
03protection or asylum
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal
n. the state of being protected from danger or the law.
n. the condition of being protected or the immunity from arrest afforded by a sacred place.
“In the past, people could find sanctuary from the law by entering a church.”
“The fugitive sought sanctuary within the cathedral walls, invoking an ancient custom that prevented local authorities from making an arrest on holy ground.”
Synonyms
04sacred area of a church
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Religion Formal
n. the most holy part of a religious building, usually near the altar.
n. the most sacred part of a religious building, such as the area around the altar in a Christian church.
“Only the priests were allowed to enter the inner sanctuary during the ceremony.”
“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.”
Real-World Examples
“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.” Etymology
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.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/sanctuary
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0