Etymology : Middle English sanctifien, from Middle French sanctifier, from Late Latin sanctificare, from Latin sanctus sacred; more at SAINT
Pronunciation : -"fI
Function : transitive verb
Date : 14th century
1. consecrate, make holy; make free from sin, purify; become holy. sanctify\sanc"ti*fy\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. sanctified ; p. pr. & vb. n. sanctifying .] [f. sanctifier, l. sanctificare; sanctus holy + -ficare (in comp.) to make. see:
saint, and -fy.].
2. to make sacred or holy; to set apart to a holy or religious use; to consecrate by appropriate rites; to hallow. god blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. ii.
3. moses sanctified aaron and his garments. viii.
4. 2. to make free from sin; to cleanse from moral corruption and pollution; to purify. sanctify them through thy truth. xvii.
5. 3. to make efficient as the means of holiness; to render productive of holiness or piety. a means which his mercy hath sanctified so to me as to make me repent of that unjust act.
6. to impart or impute sacredness, venerableness, inviolability, title to reverence and respect, or the like, to; to secure from violation; to give sanction to. the holy man, amazed at what he saw, made haste to sanctify the bliss by law. truth guards the poet, sanctifies the line.sanctify v.
7. render holy by means of religious rites [syn: consecrate, bless, hallow] [ant: desecrate].
8. declare holy or pure or free from sin; "he left the monastery purified" [syn: purify].
9. To make sacred or holy; to set apart to a holy or religious use; to consecrate by appropriate rites; to hallow.
10. To make free from sin; to cleanse from moral corruption and pollution; to purify.
11. To make efficient as the means of holiness; to render productive of holiness or piety.
12. To impart or impute sacredness, venerableness, inviolability, title to reverence and respect, or the like, to; to secure from violation; to give sanction to.
13. If something is sanctified by a priest or other holy person, the priest or holy person officially approves of it, or declares it to be holy. She is trying to make amends for her marriage not being sanctified.