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sacrifice

/ˌsækrəˈfaɪs/

/ˈsækrɪfaɪs/

Other forms: sacrifices; sacrificed; sacrificing

A sacrifice is a loss or something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause. Parents sacrifice time and sleep to take care of their children, while kids might sacrifice TV time to hang out with mom and dad.

Though no longer used only in a religious context, sacrifice comes from the Latin sacra and facere, meaning "to perform sacred rites." If you've studied ancient cultures like the Incas, you've probably heard of "human sacrifice," where a person is killed in a sacred ceremony to please the gods. But thankfully those kinds of sacrifices don't happen anymore.

Definitions of sacrifice
  1. noun
    the act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity
    synonyms: ritual killing
    see moresee less
    types:
    hecatomb
    a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen
    immolation
    killing or offering as a sacrifice
    type of:
    kill, killing, putting to death
    the act of terminating a life
  2. noun
    personnel that are sacrificed (e.g., surrendered or lost in order to gain an objective)
    see moresee less
    type of:
    loss, personnel casualty
    military personnel lost by death or capture
  3. noun
    the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.
    synonyms: forfeit, forfeiture
    see moresee less
    type of:
    act, deed, human action, human activity
    something that people do or cause to happen
  4. noun
    a loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value
    “he had to sell his car at a considerable sacrifice
    see moresee less
    type of:
    loss
    something that is lost
  5. verb
    make a sacrifice of; in religious rituals
    see moresee less
    types:
    immolate
    offer as a sacrifice by killing or by giving up to destruction
    type of:
    offer, offer up
    present as an act of worship
  6. verb
    kill or destroy
    “The animals were sacrificed after the experiment”
    “The general had to sacrifice several soldiers to save the regiment”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    kill
    cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
  7. verb
    endure the loss of
    synonyms: give
    devote, give, pay
    dedicate
    commit, consecrate, dedicate, devote, give
    give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
    see moresee less
    type of:
    free, give up, release, relinquish, resign
    part with a possession or right
  8. verb
    sell at a loss
    see moresee less
    type of:
    sell
    exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
  9. noun
    (baseball) an out that advances the base runners
    see moresee less
    types:
    sacrifice fly
    a sacrifice made by hitting a long fly ball
    type of:
    putout
    an out resulting from a fielding play (not a strikeout)
Pronunciation
US

/ˌsækrəˈfaɪs/

UK

/ˈsækrɪfaɪs/

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