Main Entry:: sanc·tu·ary
Pronunciation:: \ˈsaŋ(k)-chə-ˌwer-ē\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural sanc·tu·ar·ies
Etymology:: Middle English seintuarie, sanctuarie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin sanctuarium, from Latin sanctus
Date:: 14th century

1: a consecrated place: as a: the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or its holy of holies b (1): the most sacred part of a religious building (as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed) (2): the room in which general worship services are held (3): a place (as a church or a temple) for worship 2 a (1): a place of refuge and protection (2): a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal b: the immunity from law attached to a sanctuary

Learn more about "sanctuary" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "sanctuary" in the Visual Thesaurus

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