verb
sanctify
SANGK-tih-feye
verb
1
To make something holy or set it apart for religious use.
"The priest sanctified the water before the baptism."
2
To give official approval or religious backing to something.
"Tradition alone does not sanctify an unjust practice."
How to Use Sanctify
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make holy, or to give something a stamp of moral or religious approval.
Common pairings
sanctify a marriage
sanctify the ground
Word Forms
sanctified past tense, sanctifies singular
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Tradition alone does not _____ an unjust practice.
Etymology
From Latin sanctus ("holy") plus facere ("to make") — literally "to make holy."