sacrosanct
/ˈsæk.ɹoʊˌsæŋkt/
sacrosanct means beyond alteration, criticism, or interference, especially due to religious sanction; inviolable.
sacrosanct is pronounced /ˈsæk.ɹoʊˌsæŋkt/.
Why “sacrosanct” is a great word
Regarded as too sacred or important to be criticized, changed, or violated. From Latin sacrōsanctus, from sacrō (ablative of sacrum, "sacred rite") and sanctus ("hallowed, consecrated"), meaning "made holy by a sacred rite"; first recorded in English use c. 1600. Unlike "inviolable," which underscores a legal or moral untouchability, or "sacred," which denotes general reverence, sacrosanct carries an absolute, fearsome immunity forged by ritual. It is the unalterable text of a founding scripture, the sealed door of a tomb, the vow whispered in a cathedral's gloom—a concept removed from debate and placed, irrevocably, beyond reach.
adj
- Beyond alteration, criticism, or interference, especially due to religious sanction; inviolable.“It will be noted that pre-grouping routes between London and Scotland are no longer sacrosanct—for example, Glasgow St. Enoch trains no longer run necessarily to St. Pancras.”
- Sacred, very holy.
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