sacrament

noun

sac·​ra·​ment ˈsa-krə-mənt 

1

a

: a Christian rite (such as baptism or the Eucharist) that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and that is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality

b

: a religious rite or observance comparable to a Christian sacrament

2

capitalized

a

: communion sense 2a

b

: blessed sacrament

3

: something likened to a religious sacrament

saw voting as a sacrament of democracy

Examples of sacrament in a Sentence

They stood in line to receive the Sacrament.

Recent Examples on the Web

The church bulletin featured news items about local health services for the Deaf, information about finding sign language interpreters for Catholic funerals, and a class for adults who are deaf and want to learn about the sacrament of confirmation. —Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Dec. 2024

And then the Michigan Catholic Conference took offense to Whitmer's apparent attempt to participate in a social media trend, saying that in Whitmer's reenactment, Plank appears to be mimicking the Catholic sacrament of Communion. —Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 16 Oct. 2024

The Michigan Catholic Conference said Whitmer was mocking receiving the sacrament of Communion. —Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 Oct. 2024

For the past 15 years, he’s been going on the road with circuses to preside over Mass, perform sacraments and provide pastoral care. —Gina Ryder, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sacrement, sacrament, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin sacramentum, from Latin, oath of allegiance, obligation, from sacrare to consecrate

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sacrament

noun

sac·​ra·​ment ˈsak-rə-mənt 

1

: a religious act that is a sign or symbol of a spiritual existence

2

capitalized : blessed sacrament

sacramental

ˌsak-rə-ˈment-ᵊl

adjective

sacramentally

-ᵊl-ē

adverb