Euan McKirdy
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Historically, churches have been places where fugitives could seek at least temporary protection from the law. In Anglo-Saxon England, churches and churchyards generally provided 40 days of immunity, and neither the sheriffs nor the army would enter to seize the outlaw. But gradually the right of sanctuary was eroded. In 1486 sanctuary for the crime of treason was disallowed, and sanctuary for most other crimes was severely restricted by Henry VIII and later abolished. In the 1980s many U.S. churches provided sanctuary to political refugees from Central America, and the U.S. government mostly chose not to interfere. Today, wildlife sanctuaries provide protection for the species within its boundaries, and farm-animal sanctuaries now rescue livestock from abuse and starvation.
Synonyms
Examples of sanctuary in a Sentence
Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
In 2022, when legislation outlawing gender-affirming medical treatments erupted in mostly red-state legislatures across the land, California enacted a law creating a sanctuary for those whose treatments were blocked by the lawmakers.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The resort's spa, a sanctuary of relaxation, has been reimagined with 11,000 square feet of amenities.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
The portion of Beaver Island designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary joins just another 19 such sanctuaries around the world.
—Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
There are floors reserved exclusively for female travelers with dedicated services, including female room service, a women-only check-in counter, and guest relations, offering a sanctuary of sorts for travelers.
—Tina Charisma, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
Two other national marine sanctuaries have been proposed in Lakes Erie and Ontario.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024
Singletary worked quickly to open his sanctuary for a prayer vigil Tuesday night attended by city leaders, including Mayor Brandon Scott, and several first responders.
—USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Others heard his promise to keep Colorado Springs from becoming a sanctuary as selling out.
—Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
The latest numbers released by Texas officials in March show the state has now transported more than 105,000 migrants to sanctuary cities since 2022, and the topic was front-and-center at Thursday's event.
—Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Why is Putin accusing Ukraine and the West? Sacramento’s City Council votes unanimously to become a sanctuary city for transgender people.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The resolution, declaring Sacramento a sanctuary city for transgender people, passed unanimously Tuesday, via Theresa Clift.
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Liberal states like California and Democratic-run cities have passed gun restrictions, auto-emissions standards that are stricter than national standards and sanctuary policies to limit how local law-enforcement officers can work with federal immigration agents.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
New York City is also a sanctuary city, which limits the city's cooperation with the federal immigration authorities.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
Although the term has no legal meaning, a sanctuary city usually provides safe harbor to migrants regardless of their immigration status, and declines to assist federal immigration officials in tracking them down.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024
Galaz said sanctuary city policies make cities safer by ensuring that migrants are comfortable reporting crimes and acting as witnesses in criminal investigations without fear of deportation.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sanctuary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
Middle English seintuarie, sanctuarie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin sanctuarium, from Latin sanctus
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1985, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing sanctuary
Dictionary Entries Near sanctuary
Cite this Entry
“Sanctuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanctuary. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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sanctuary
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on sanctuary
Nglish: Translation of sanctuary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sanctuary for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sanctuary
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