Meaning & use
sacredness
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Meanings
noununcountablereligion
The quality of being holy and deserving deep religious respect.
Grammar: Uncountable: the sacredness of the temple.
Patterns
- the sacredness of something
Visitors must respect the sacredness of the temple.
The sacredness of the river is central to local belief.
They spoke quietly out of respect for the sacredness of the place.
noununcountablefigurative
The quality of being so important or valued that it must not be harmed or broken.
Grammar: Uncountable; used about values: the sacredness of human life.
Patterns
- the sacredness of something
The sacredness of human life is a core principle for her.
He believed in the sacredness of a promise.
Teachers discussed the sacredness of free speech.
Common combinations
- sacredness of life
- The sacredness of life guided his decisions.
- respect the sacredness
- Tourists should respect the sacredness of the site.
- sense of sacredness
- The silence gave a sense of sacredness.
- sacredness of marriage
- They spoke about the sacredness of marriage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- holiness
- Holiness is more specifically religious, while sacredness can include respected values.
- sanctity
- Sanctity is more formal and often used about life or home, rather than places of worship.
- reverence
- Reverence is the feeling of deep respect, while sacredness is the quality that causes it.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sacredness or sacrifice?
sacredness vs sacrifice
A sacrifice is something given up or offered, while sacredness is the quality of being holy.
Practice
Which sentence uses sacredness correctly?
Choose one answer.
Sacredness is an uncountable noun naming the holy quality of a place. The other options misuse it as a verb or adjective, or apply it to a mall.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sacredness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.