We have a very old word, "sanctify," that we've used in English since the year 1390 or so, and it means "to make someone or something sacred: to treat things or people as if they're holy." It traces back to the Latin sanctus, meaning "holy."

Much more recently, around the year 1933, we started using a very similar word that means the same thing: "sacralize."

Why? I'm not sure. There's some evidence to suggest that we were influenced by a French version of the word, sacralisent, in an 1899 journal called l'Année Sociologique. We do tend to reborrow words from French when our own versions, like "sanctify," feel worn out from overuse. The Frenchier "sacralize" sounds fresh and new. That's just my (somewhat-educated) guess. 

But I'm certain about the definition! :) To sacralize someone or something is to make it sacred: to treat it as if it's holy, sacred, or precious.

Part of speech:

Verb, the transitive kind: "They've sacralized this hill;" "They sacralize their ancestors."

Other forms: 

Sacralized, sacralizing, sacralization.

how to use it:

"Sacralize" has a scholarly tone and tends to appear in texts about cultural anthropology.

It's much rarer than "sanctify," so pick it it when you want to call special attention to the fact that someone is making something (or someone) holy.

You might talk about people sacralizing certain places, traditions, routines, rituals, celebrities, politicians, historical figures, works of art or literature, etc.

examples:

"Over time, national heroes like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Franklin D. Roosevelt acquire an image that's a lot tidier than their real-life behavior was. They are sacralized. They're treated as leaders who changed the country by transcending politics."
— David Leonhardt, The Morning (New York Times), 6 October 2023

"Child stars: we sacralize them so much as these angels of innocence. At some point in childhood, they rebel against this, they flaunt their corruptness and sexuality."
— Teddy Wayne, as quoted by Daniel D'Addario, Salon, 8 March 2013

has this page helped you understand "sacralize"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "sacralize" without saying "make sacred" or "make holy."

try it out:

In his book The Power of Ritual, Casper ter Kuile notes that people can find spiritual meaning in everyday activities, like making their coffee, walking their dogs, applying moisturizer, playing the guitar, or attending fitness classes.

By sacralizing these activities, he suggests, we can add more meaning and intentionality to our lives.

Talk about an everyday activity or ritual that you might sacralize, or one that you've already sacralized. What meaning does this activity or ritual hold for you?

Or, if this kind of sacralization isn't your cup of tea, talk about why.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

This month, our game is "Smorgasbord of Wordly Lore!"

Try a trivia question each day. It’ll have something to do with a food or a drink. You can play on hard mode by answering the question cold, or play on easy mode by highlighting the multiple choice options. To see the correct answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this one today: Mukha, a city in Yemen, gave its name to what popular drink?

Highlight below to reveal the multiple choice options.…
A. mud water
B. mocha coffee
C. hot cocoa

review this word:

1. The opposite of SACRALIZE is DESACRALIZE, or

A. DIVERSIFY: to add variety to something.
B. PRIORITIZE: to treat something as if it's more important than other things.
C. SECULARIZE: to convert something from religious to nonreligious use or meaning.

2. A writer for Forbes noted that Vladimir Putin has tried "to sacralize the Russian national identity," fusing it with _____.

A. non-individualism
B. the Russian Orthodox Church
C. artistic ideals in ballet, painting, and literature

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. B Answer to the game question: mocha coffee

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.