French word

sacré

Pronunciation

IPA/sakʁe/

Meaning

  • adjectivesacred

Example

C'est un lieu sacré.

It is a sacred place.

Illustration for sacré (sacred)

More examples

Ils considèrent cet objet sacré comme un héritage.

They consider this sacred object an inheritance.

Core concept

A thing set apart from ordinary life, treated with reverence and sometimes used to add strong emphasis.

Common phrases

  • lieu sacré

    sacred place

  • objet sacré

    sacred object

Similar words

divin: Godlike or divinely connected, with extraordinary value, beauty, or supernatural qualities.
consacré: Formally made holy through religious ceremony for a particular purpose.
béni: Believed to have received a religious blessing, bringing protection or happiness.

Definition in French

Qui appartient au domaine religieux et suscite respect ou vénération; peut aussi être employé familièrement comme intensificateur.

Word origin

French sacré comes through Old French from Latin sacratus, the past participle of sacrare, meaning made sacred or dedicated to a deity.

Usage tips

  • As an adjective, sacré agrees in gender and number: un lieu sacré, une cérémonie sacrée, and des objets sacrés.

Other meanings

  • divineadjective

Opposites

  • profaneprofaneadjective
  • laïquesecularadjective

Related words

  • sacralisersanctifyverb
  • sacralisationsanctificationnoun

Word lists with this word