sacrosanct
adjective
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Contrary to the beliefs of some, language is not sacrosanct; rather, it is subject to constant modification based on the needs, experiences, and even whims of those who use it. Take the word sacrosanct itself, which likely comes from the Latin phrase sacro sanctus meaning “made holy by a sacred rite.” There’s a definite semantic softening from that to the “too important and respected to be changed or criticized” meaning of sacrosanct. But holy moly, has sanctus led to a whole bunch of other English words with truly pious flavor, from saint and sanctimony to sanctify and sanctuary. Sacrum (“a sacred rite”), whence came the sacro in sacro sanctus, is no slouch either, living on in English anatomy as the name for our pelvic vertebrae—a shortening of os sacrum, which literally means “holy bone.”
Examples of sacrosanct in a Sentence
Ryan Larochelle / Made By History, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
The need for these protections is more critical than ever, and the right to seek asylum must remain sacrosanct.
—Amy Pope, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Military unity used to be sacrosanct in Israel—especially on the right, and especially in times of war.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Among the public, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was one of the most unpopular policy initiatives of recent times; Social Security in its present form remains one of the most popular government programs and a sacrosanct contract between government and workers.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Sacrosanct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrosanct. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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