# sanctuary

/ˈsæŋktʃuˌɛɹi/ (US) · /sˈɑːnktjuːəɹˌi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sanctuary
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a safe place

noun · CEFR B2

a place where you feel safe and protected from trouble or danger.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. nature reserve

noun · CEFR B2

an area of land where animals and plants are protected from people.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. protection or asylum

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the state of being protected from danger or the law.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. sacred area of a church

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the most holy part of a religious building, usually near the altar.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The quiet library was a sanctuary for the tired students.
- After a long day in the noisy city, she found sanctuary in the small park behind her apartment.
- The government established a coastal sanctuary to protect the endangered sea turtles from the increasing threats of industrial fishing and habitat destruction.

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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.