sanctuary

1.adjectiveC1

Definition

describing a city or local government that chooses to cooperate only to a limited degree with federal authorities when they carry out national immigration rules.

Example

The city council voted to keep its sanctuary status despite pressure from the state government.

collocation: sanctuary status

Portland has been a sanctuary city since the early nineteen-eighties.

Common collocations

sanctuary city
sanctuary status
sanctuary policy
sanctuary jurisdiction

Grammar Patterns

sanctuary + noun

Usage Note

Attributive only — always placed before a noun (sanctuary city, sanctuary policy). Almost exclusively used in American political contexts.

Common Mistakes

The city is a sanctuary for immigrants.

The city is a sanctuary city for immigrants.

The adjective sense requires 'sanctuary city' as a compound; 'sanctuary' alone sounds like a safe place in general.

1.nounB1

Definition

a place where a person or animal can escape danger, pursuit, or harm — or the safety that such a place provides.

Example

The church offered sanctuary to families who had lost their homes in the earthquake.

collocation: offer sanctuary

Kofi sought sanctuary at the embassy after the fighting reached his street.

collocation: seek sanctuary

Common collocations

seek sanctuary
find sanctuary
offer sanctuary
grant sanctuary
give sanctuary
political sanctuary
temporary sanctuary
right of sanctuary

Synonyms

refuge
slightly more temporary and practical; emphasises escape from a specific threat
shelter
focuses on physical protection from weather or attack; often more basic
haven
suggests a peaceful, welcoming rest after difficulty
asylum
formal and legal; specifically political protection granted by a country

Antonyms

danger
the opposite condition that sanctuary protects against
exposure
being unprotected and vulnerable to harm

Grammar Patterns

seek + sanctuary

find + sanctuary

offer + sanctuary

sanctuary + from

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the abstract concept of safety ('they sought sanctuary'), countable when referring to a specific location ('this cave is a sanctuary').

Common Mistakes

The refugees looked for a sanctuary place.

The refugees looked for sanctuary.

'Sanctuary' already communicates the idea of a safe place; adding 'place' is redundant.

2.nounB1

Definition

an area of land or water where wild birds, animals, or sea life are kept safe from hunting, habitat destruction, and other human threats.

Example

The wildlife sanctuary in northern Thailand cares for rescued elephants and tigers.

collocation: wildlife sanctuary

Volunteers at the bird sanctuary tag migrating geese every spring.

collocation: bird sanctuary

Common collocations

wildlife sanctuary
bird sanctuary
marine sanctuary
nature sanctuary
forest sanctuary
animal sanctuary

Synonyms

reserve
often larger; may allow some controlled human activity
preserve
emphasises active conservation management
refuge
overlaps but can also mean a general safe place

Grammar Patterns

wildlife/bird/marine + sanctuary

sanctuary + for [species]

Common Mistakes

We saw lions at the sanctuary.' (unclear which type)

We saw lions at the wildlife sanctuary.

Adding 'wildlife' or 'bird' clarifies that this is an animal refuge, not a general safe place.

3.nounB2

Definition

the most sacred area within a church, temple, or other religious building, typically where the altar is located and where only clergy may enter.

Example

Only the senior priest is allowed to enter the inner sanctuary of the temple.

collocation: inner sanctuary

The marble altar stands at the centre of the cathedral's sanctuary.

Common collocations

inner sanctuary
the sanctuary
enter the sanctuary
sanctuary of the church
sanctuary of the temple

Synonyms

sanctum
rare and more formal; often used metaphorically
holy of holies
specifically Jewish or metaphorical; very formal

Grammar Patterns

the + sanctuary + of + [building]

inner + sanctuary

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 4: this sense refers to a specific part within a religious building (the holiest area), whereas sense 4 refers to the whole building used for worship.

4.nounB1

Definition

a building or structure that a religious community uses for ceremonies, prayer, and worship — for example, a church, temple, or mosque.

Example

The small wooden sanctuary could seat no more than fifty people.

Mayumi helps her mother clean the sanctuary at their church every Sunday morning.

Common collocations

Buddhist sanctuary
new sanctuary
old sanctuary
main sanctuary

Synonyms

church
specific to Christian worship; narrower
temple
common for Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and other faiths
mosque
specific to Islamic worship
shrine
usually smaller and associated with a particular holy figure or event

Grammar Patterns

[determiner] + sanctuary + [verb]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3: this sense means the whole building used for worship (a church, temple, mosque), while sense 3 refers specifically to the most holy inner part of such a building.

Word family

sanctify
verbC2
sanctity
nounC1
sanctum
nounC2
sacred
adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While sanctuary, refuge, shelter, haven, and asylum all describe places or states of safety, they differ in scope and connotation. Sanctuary often carries a sense of inviolable, almost sacred protection — historically tied to churches that offered immunity from arrest, and still used when the safe space feels protected by moral right. Refuge emphasises escape from a specific immediate threat; it feels more temporary and practical. Shelter focuses on physical cover from weather or attack and suggests basic, short-term protection. Haven suggests a peaceful, welcoming place to rest after a difficult journey. Asylum is the most formal and legal term, used specifically when a country grants protection to someone fleeing political persecution. For example: 'The church offered sanctuary to the refugees' suggests a morally protected space. 'The family found shelter from the storm' is about physical cover. 'The island is a safe haven for migratory birds' suggests a peaceful resting place.

refuge ↗shelter ↗haven ↗asylum ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

sanctuary city
sanctuary status
wildlife sanctuary
bird sanctuary
sanctuary policy

Phrases

seek sanctuary
find sanctuary
offer sanctuary
grant sanctuary

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'sanctuarium' meaning a sacred place or shrine, derived from 'sanctus' meaning holy. The word entered English through Old French 'sainctuarie' in the 14th century. Originally it referred only to holy places in religious buildings; the broader meaning of a safe haven developed later, and the modern political sense of a 'sanctuary city' emerged in the late 20th century.

Entries near

Previous entries

Next entries

sanctuary

sanctuary — adjective

1. describing a city or local government that chooses to cooperate only to a limite

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

sanctuary — noun

1. a place where a person or animal can escape danger, pursuit, or harm — or the sa

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. an area of land or water where wild birds, animals, or sea life are kept safe fr

Grammar Patterns

Common Mistakes

3. the most sacred area within a church, temple, or other religious building, typic

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

4. a building or structure that a religious community uses for ceremonies, prayer,

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Entries near

Entries near