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
Jessica Dupuy, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
That maneuver went at the heart of what was regarded as a sacrosanct tenet in American government: that civil servants remain outside partisan politics and can’t be fired without due process.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 9 Feb. 2025
Editors’ Picks 36 Hours in Guadalajara, Mexico The Fed’s independence is sacrosanct among most economists and many investors.
—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
See All Example Sentences for sacrosanct
Cite this Entry
“Sacrosanct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrosanct. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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