MEANING
To make holy, confer sacred status on, or treat as spiritually purified or justified.
Use it for
spiritual purification; sacred status; moral approval claimed for actionsShow holiness as something conferred, claimed, or disputed.
Words that belong together
- sanctify a place
- sanctified ground
- sanctify a union
On the page
The priests came to sanctify the spring after the flood.
No blessing could sanctify the king's cruelty in her eyes.
They had sanctified the ground but never repaired the ruined shelter.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- sanctify / sanctifies
- Past tense
- sanctified
- Past participle
- sanctified
- Present participle
- sanctifying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- sanctify / sanctifies
- Present continuous
- am/is/are sanctifying
- Present perfect
- have/has sanctified
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been sanctifying
- Past
- sanctified
- Past continuous
- was/were sanctifying
- Past perfect
- had sanctified
- Past perfect continuous
- had been sanctifying
- Future
- will sanctify / sanctifies
- Future continuous
- will be sanctifying
- Future perfect
- will have sanctified
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been sanctifying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: fantasy. Broader than dedicating a specific building or object in a formal rite; figuratively it can mean giving moral approval. Verb (base / third-person singular / past / past participle / -ing): sanctify, sanctifies, sanctified, sanctified, sanctifying.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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