Definition

1. Noun:
   • A place offering protection and safety; a refuge: "asylum" refers to a secure place that provides shelter from danger, persecution, or hardship.
   • An institution providing care and support for specific groups: Historically, "asylum" can refer to a hospital or institution for the care of people with mental illness or for other vulnerable groups like orphans or the elderly.

Usage

• The word "asylum" is a formal noun. It is often used in legal, political, and historical contexts.
• When referring to protection from persecution, it is commonly used in the phrase "to seek/grant/be granted asylum."
• The historical use for mental hospitals is now considered outdated and potentially offensive; modern terms like "psychiatric hospital" are preferred.

Examples

• As a refuge from danger:
  • The journalist sought asylum in a foreign embassy after receiving threats.
  • The country has a policy of granting asylum to political refugees.
• As a historical institution:
  • In the 19th century, he was committed to a lunatic asylum. (Note: This usage is archaic.)

Advanced Usage

• "Political asylum": Protection granted by a state to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee.
  • The activist was granted political asylum after fleeing the dictatorship.
• "Right of asylum": An ancient juridical concept where a person persecuted by their own country may be protected by another sovereign authority.
  • The church historically offered the right of asylum to fugitives.

Variants and Related Words

• Asylee (n): A person who is seeking or has been granted asylum in a foreign country.
  • The new laws affect the rights of asylees.
• Asylum seeker (n): A person who has left their home country as a refugee and is seeking asylum in another.
  • The camp provides basic necessities for asylum seekers.

Synonyms

• Sanctuary: A place of refuge or safety.
• Refuge: A condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.
• Shelter: A place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.

Antonyms

• Danger: The possibility of suffering harm or injury.
• Persecution: Hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To seek asylum": To formally ask a foreign country for protection because of danger in one's own country.
  • Thousands of people cross the border every year to seek asylum.
• "A safe asylum": Emphasizes the protective nature of the refuge.
  • The monastery provided a safe asylum for the travelers during the storm.

Noun

1. a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person
2. a shelter from danger or hardship