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sac·ro·sanct

(săkrō-săngkt′)

adj.

Regarded as sacred and inviolable.

[Latin sacrōsānctus, consecrated with religious ceremonies : sacrō, ablative of sacrum, religious rite (from neuter of sacer, sacred; see SACRED) + sānctus, past participle of sancīre, to consecrate; see sak- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

sac′ro·sancti·ty (-săngktĭ-tē) n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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