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
Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
What ought to be the safest, most sacrosanct place in any sane society has been trashed — and to what end?
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
The funds for nearly one-third of ACA/Medicaid and the defense of our nation, some of our most sacrosanct spending, could not be completed without taking out some pretty hefty loans.
—Brian Maryott, Orange County Register, 17 Feb. 2025
Despite his eagerness to explode treaties, shutter entire government agencies and abandon decades-old ways of doing things, the president understands that Social Security benefits for seniors are sacrosanct.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sacrosanct
Cite this Entry
“Sacrosanct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrosanct. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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