Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sacred or holy place: A sanctuary is a consecrated area, especially the part of a church around the altar reserved for the clergy and choir, often enclosed.
   • A place of refuge or safety: A sanctuary is a shelter offering protection from danger, persecution, or hardship.
   • A place where sacred objects are kept: A sanctuary can be a consecrated place, such as a shrine, where holy relics or objects are preserved.
   • An area for wildlife protection: A sanctuary is a tract of land where wild animals, birds, or plants are protected and can live undisturbed.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The choir stood in the sanctuary during the service.
  • The country provided sanctuary for political refugees.
  • Ancient artifacts were kept in the temple's inner sanctuary.
  • The bird sanctuary is closed to the public during nesting season.

Advanced Usage

• "To seek/take sanctuary": To look for or enter a place of refuge or protection, often from legal authorities.
  • The fugitive sought sanctuary in the church.
• "To violate/break sanctuary": To forcibly enter a place of refuge to seize someone, violating its protected status (a historical concept).
  • The king's guards broke sanctuary to arrest the rebel.

Variants and Related Words

• Sanctum (n): A sacred place, especially a shrine or private room; a place where one is free from intrusion.
  • He retreated to the sanctum of his study.

Synonyms

• Refuge: A condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.
• Asylum: The protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home country as a political refugee.
• Haven: A place of safety or refuge.
• Shrine: A place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic.

Related Phrases

• Wildlife sanctuary: A protected area for the conservation of wild species.
  • They visited a wildlife sanctuary to see elephants.
• Bird sanctuary: An area of land where birds are protected and encouraged to breed.
  • The coastal marshes are an important bird sanctuary.

Related Idioms

• "A sanctuary of the heart": A private, cherished place within one's thoughts or emotions (a literary usage).
  • Her diary was a sanctuary of the heart where she kept her deepest secrets.

Noun

1. area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing
2. a shelter from danger or hardship
3. a consecrated place where sacred objects are kept