sanctuary
noun
Simple meaning
An area set aside for protection.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sangkchoouhreeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsæŋktʃuɛɹi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An area set aside for protection.
A place of safety, refuge, or protection.
Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing
The consecrated (or sacred) area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.
A state of being protected, asylum.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- General and technical use
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An area set aside for protection.
Used this way, sanctuary is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use sanctuary
- “The nature reserve serves as a sanctuary for many different bird species.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A building where birds are kept.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.