sacrifice
sacrifice Lexical Profile
sacrifice Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An act of giving up something valued for the sake of other considerations or a higher cause; the thing so surrendered.
"Her parents made many financial sacrifices so that she could attend university."
An act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity; the victim or object offered.
"Ancient civilizations often performed a ritual sacrifice to ask the gods for a bountiful harvest."
In chess or baseball, a strategic play in which a piece is deliberately lost or a batter is intentionally put out in order to gain a tactical advantage.
"The grandmaster stunned the audience with a daring queen sacrifice that forced checkmate three moves later."
• verb
To give up or part with something valued for the sake of other considerations or a more pressing priority.
"He refused to sacrifice his personal integrity for the sake of a quick promotion."
To slaughter an animal or person or surrender a valuable possession as a religious offering to a deity.
"The priests gathered at the temple altar to sacrifice a white bull to Apollo."
• Rhymes for sacrifice
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French from the Latin 'sacrificium', a compound of 'sacer' (sacred) and 'facere' (to make or perform), literally meaning 'to make sacred' through a ritual offering.