sacrifice

1 of 2

noun

sac·​ri·​fice ˈsa-krə-ˌfīs How to pronounce sacrifice (audio)
 also  -fəs,
 or  -ˌfīz
1
: an act of offering to a deity something precious
especially : the killing of a victim on an altar
2
: something offered in sacrifice
3
a
: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
b
: something given up or lost
the sacrifices made by parents
4
: loss
goods sold at a sacrifice
5

sacrifice

2 of 2

verb

sacrificed; sacrificing

transitive verb

1
: to offer as a sacrifice
2
: to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end
3
: to sell at a loss
4
: to advance (a base runner) by means of a sacrifice bunt
5
: to kill (an animal) as part of a scientific experiment

intransitive verb

1
: to make or perform the rites of a sacrifice
2
: to make a sacrifice hit in baseball
sacrificer noun

Examples of sacrifice in a Sentence

Noun The war required everyone to make sacrifices. No sacrifice is too great when it comes to her children. He made many personal sacrifices to provide help to the city's homeless people. The war required much sacrifice from everyone. a place where priests performed human sacrifices in ancient rituals The villagers hoped the gods would accept their sacrifice. The goat was offered as a sacrifice. The runner went to second base on a sacrifice. Verb She's had to sacrifice a lot for her family. He sacrificed his personal life in order to get ahead in his career. I want to follow a diet that is healthful without sacrificing taste. She was able to ask for their help without sacrificing her dignity. She was willing to suffer, sacrifice, and work for success. a place where people were sacrificed in ancient rituals He sacrificed in his first at bat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In South America, the Inca saw solar eclipses as a sign of the sun god’s displeasure; leaders would try to divine the source of his wrath and appease him with an appropriate sacrifice. Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 Still, Taylor is optimistic that his hard work and sacrifice will pay off one day, and his son will be there to witness the result. Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 She’s married off by her father to a man she’s just met, only to be dropped as a sacrifice into a deep network of caves ruled by a vengeful dragon. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Yet despite obvious exhaustion and a host of sacrifices, Ukrainian troops still exude confidence and often a personal commitment to fight. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024 In Christianity, the day is a remembrance of the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. Joyce Orlando, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Many hospital workers went to the ends of the Earth caring for patients—with enormous personal sacrifice and often heroism. Leah Binder, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The movie explains many unique aspects of Pacific Islander culture—Demigod, sacrifices, and traditional roles in society to list a few. Akruti Babaria, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 Reaching this phase did not come without some sacrifices, smart money moves, and hard work. Holly Corbett, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
But the industrial revolution has thrown off so much wealth that there’s enough left over to solve those problems too without sacrificing the higher living standards that come with it. The Editors, National Review, 18 Mar. 2024 Who doesn’t love paying less without sacrificing quality? Kate Watson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Both dresses have zipper backing and land at the knee, and they’re made with a cotton and nylon blend that provide comfort and flexibility without sacrificing style. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2024 Penned by British studio Redman Whiteley Dixon, the design carefully wraps around the lifting keel without sacrificing or impeding on any interior guest space. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Look 11 has all the drama and elegance appropriate for someone like Annette Bening or Meryl Streep, without sacrificing fun. Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 When used strategically, keywords can draw more searchers without sacrificing quality. Jon Stojan, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Wall Street started to turn on legacy media companies including Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which had sacrificed traditional television and box office revenue to fuel their streaming ambitions. Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Bringing a slinky twist to the character without sacrificing an ounce of her strength, Thandiwe Newton makes the most of her rich British accent and haughty, fiery delivery (emphasized by Mona's lighter-flicking habit). Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sacrifice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin sacrificium, from sacr-, sacer + facere to make — more at do

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sacrifice was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sacrifice

Cite this Entry

“Sacrifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrifice. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sacrifice

1 of 2 noun
sac·​ri·​fice ˈsak-rə-ˌfīs How to pronounce sacrifice (audio)
-fəs
1
: an act of offering something precious to God or a god
especially : the killing of a victim on an altar
2
: something offered in sacrifice
3
: a giving up of something especially for the sake of someone else
also : something so given up
4
: loss of profit
sell goods at a sacrifice

sacrifice

2 of 2 verb
sac·​ri·​fice
ˈsak-rə-ˌfīs,
-ˌfīz
sacrificed; sacrificing
1
: to offer or perform as a sacrifice
2
: to give up for the sake of something else
3
: to sell at a loss
4
: to make a sacrifice hit
sacrificer noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English sacrifice "the act of offering something to God or a god," from early French sacrifice (same meaning), from Latin sacrificium "sacrifice," from sacr-, sacer "sacred" and -ficium, from facere "to do, make" — related to sacred

More from Merriam-Webster on sacrifice

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