Sacred means deeply holy, worthy of the highest respect, or set apart as special and deserving protection. A church, temple, or mosque is a sacred space where people come to worship. Sacred texts like the Bible, Torah, or Quran contain the central teachings of their religions. Many religions have sacred objects, like a cross or prayer beads, that hold deep spiritual meaning.

What makes something sacred is that people treat it with extraordinary care and reverence. People would not use a sacred object as a toy, just as they would not shout and run around in a sacred building. The word carries a sense that something is too important, too meaningful, to treat casually.

Sacred can also describe things outside of religion that people hold as deeply important and inviolable. The Constitution is sacred to many Americans who see it as the foundation of their freedoms. A family might call certain traditions sacred, meaning they would not dream of skipping them. When soldiers talk about the sacred duty to protect their country, they mean it's a responsibility they take with the utmost seriousness.

The opposite of sacred is profane, which means ordinary or disrespectful toward holy things. Something sacred commands respect, whether because of its connection to the divine or because it represents people's deepest values.