1. Dedicated to or set apart for the worship of a deity.
2. Worthy of religious veneration. Usage: The sacred teachings of the Buddha.
3. Made or declared holy. Usage : The ‘sacred bread and wine’.
4. Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose, or person. Usage: The building houses a private office sacred to the President.
Sacred Cow
something that is regarded by some people with such respect and veneration that they do not like it being criticized by anyone in any way.
Origin: From the fact that the cow is regarded as sacred in India and is not eaten or mistreated.
Usage : The British legal system remains a sacred cow, despite increasing evidence that serious mistakes have been made.
A university education is a sacred cow in the Smith family.
Sacrosanct
Regarded as sacred and inviolable.
Usage : Weekend rest days were considered sacrosanct.
A slavish nature would find consolation in the fact that the principal robber was an exalted and almost a sacrosanct person.
Inviolable
1. Secure from violation or profanation. Usage : John found an inviolable reliquary deep beneath the altar.
2. Impregnable to assault or trespass; invincible. Usage : The general ordered his staff to prepare fortifications that made the frontier inviolable.
Inviolate
Not violated or profaned; intact. Usage : The great inviolate place had an ancient permanence which the sea cannot claim.
Hallowed
1. Sanctified; consecrated:.
2. Highly venerated; sacrosanct
Usage : Our hallowed war heroes.
There were a total of 602 gentlemen cadets who became proud officers of the Army on Saturday after they crossed the “final step” at the hallowed portals of the historic Chetwode building.
Sanctified
1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate.
2. To make holy; purify.
3. To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow.
Usage: The priest then sanctified the marriage.
Their office is to illumine and enkindle — My duty, to be saved by their bright light, And purified in their electric fire, And sanctified in their elysian fire.
Consecrate
1. To declare or set apart as sacred.
2. To dedicate solemnly to a service or goal.
3. To make venerable; hallow.
Usage: A tradition consecrated by time.
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
God- Fearing
deeply religious.
Usage : It was a huge gathering god-fearing and law-abiding people at the church today.
Devout
1. Devoted to religion or to the fulfillment of religious obligations.
2. Displaying reverence or piety.
3. Sincere; earnest.
Usage : Devout wishes for their success.
I remember with devout thankfulness that I can never be much nearer parting company with my readers for ever.
Religious
1. Having or showing belief in and reverence for God or a deity.
2. Of, concerned with, or teaching religion. Usage : Bible and Quran are probably the best example of a religious text.
3. Extremely scrupulous or conscientious. Usage : John is religiously devoted to his duty of protecting his country.
Pious
1. Having or exhibiting religious reverence; earnestly compliant in the observance of religion; devout.
2.
a. Marked by conspicuous devoutness. Usage :It was a pious and holy observation.
b. Marked by false devoutness; solemnly hypocritical. Usage : John played a pious fraud.
3. Devotional. Usage :The book has a remarkable collection of pious readings.
4. Professing or exhibiting a strict, traditional sense of virtue and morality; high-minded.
5. Commendable; worthy. Usage : Although our team has put in a pious effort, but luck favored the Yellow team.
