sacrée

Sacrée is the feminine form of the French adjective sacré, meaning sacred or holy. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In religious or ceremonial contexts, it denotes something consecrated, revered, or devoted to a deity, such as un texte sacré (a sacred text) or des lieux sacrés (sacred places). The form sacré·e can also describe symbolic or revered concepts in a secular sense, for example when referring to traditions, memories, or values that are regarded with high respect.

Etymology and form: sacré comes from Latin sacer, sacra, sacrum, through Old French. The feminine singular is sacrée, formed by adding the feminine ending -ée to the base sacré. The pronunciation is /sa.kʁe/.

Usage notes: Sacré/ sacrée can appear in two broad senses. First, in a religious or formal sense, it describes things literally sacred. Second, as an ordinary French intensifier, sacré acts like a qualitative boost before a feminine noun, adding emphasis meaning “real,” “extraordinary,” or “a lot of.” When used in this manner, the phrase is typically sacrée before a feminine noun, e.g., une sacrée journée (a heck of a day), une sacrée histoire (a wild story). The masculine form before a masculine noun is sacré, as in un sacré morceau or un sacré ami. The position of the adjective can alter nuance: sacré before the noun intensifies; after the noun it often retains the literal sense.

Common examples: des lieux sacrés; un texte sacré; une sacrée journée; une sacrée histoire. In everyday language, the intensifying use is widespread and widely understood in informal speech. See also sacral, sacralité, and related religious terminology in French.