sacred

Sacred is a term used across religious and philosophical traditions to denote what is holy, consecrated, or set apart from ordinary use. It carries the sense of reverence, ritual belonging, and any object, place, time, or act deemed worthy of special regard or worship. The word derives from Latin sacer, meaning holy or consecrated, and its meaning shifts with different cultural and religious contexts.

In religious contexts, the sacred is often expressed through objects, places, times, and acts. Sacred objects may include relics, icons, or scriptures; sacred spaces include temples, shrines, and altars; sacred times encompass holy days and cycles of ritual. Sacred acts cover rituals, prayers, sacraments, or rites that connect practitioners with the divine, the community, or a transcendent order. The definition of what is sacred can vary between traditions and individuals, reflecting varied theologies, cosmologies, and moral frameworks.

Secular scholarship often contrasts the sacred with the profane, analyzing how communities create, maintain, and transform sacred meanings. Sociologists and anthropologists such as Emile Durkheim have argued that sacred symbols help unify societies and regulate collective life, even as modern contexts may secularize or relocate sacral meanings into secular institutions or personal identities.

In culture and discourse, sacred is frequently used metaphorically to signify extraordinary importance, mystery, or beauty. The term appears in a wide range of media and discourse, including literature, film, and video games, where it signals reverence, endurance, or transformative power.