sacred

The word “sacred” means regarded as holy and worthy of deep religious reverence. In plain terms, holy, or treated as too important to mess with.

“Sacred” is pronounced SAYK-rihd (/ˈseɪkɹɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “sacred” used in a sentence: “The temple grounds are considered sacred by the local community.”

The opposite of “sacred” — its antonyms — are cursed and damned.

“Sacred” is an adjective.

The word “sacred” comes from Middle English. From Middle English sacred, the past participle of sacren, "to make holy.".

“Sacred” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Sacred” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: regarded as holy and worthy of deep religious reverence.

The words overlap and are often interchangeable. "Holy" tends to emphasise divine purity and a direct link to God or religion. "Sacred" emphasises being set apart and worthy of deep reverence, which can also apply to things treated as too important to violate, even outside religion.

They are opposites. "Sacred" describes what is holy and worthy of religious reverence, while "profane" describes what is secular, ordinary, or disrespectful toward what is holy. The pairing "the sacred and the profane" contrasts the divine with the worldly.

"Sacrosanct" is a stronger, more emphatic word, describing something so protected that it must never be interfered with or criticised. "Sacred" can mean the same thing in its non-religious sense but also carries the religious meaning of holy and revered.