sacrament definition

English sacrament definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French sacrement, from Ecclesiastical Latin sacrāmentum (“sacrament”), from Latin sacrō (“hallow, consecrate”), from sacer (“sacred, holy”), originally sum deposited by parties to a suit.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsækɹəmənt/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

Noun

sacrament (plural sacraments)

1. (Christianity) A sacred act or ceremony in Christianity. In Catholic theology, a sacrament is defined as "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace."

   • Christianity definition

     An Abrahamic religion originating from the community of the followers of Jesus Christ.
2. (in particular) The Eucharist.

   • Eucharist definition

     The Christian sacrament of Holy Communion. (1 of 3 Eucharist definitions)
3. The consecrated Eucharist (especially the bread).

   • Consecrated definition

     simple past tense and past participle of consecrate
4. A thing which is regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.
   • 1651, Jeremy Taylor, Twenty-sermons for the winter half-year, "The Faith and Patience of the Saints"

     God sometimes sent a light of fire, and pillar of a cloud […] and the sacrament of a rainbow, to guide his people through their portion of sorrows.

5. The oath of allegiance taken by soldiers in Ancient Rome; hence, any sacred ceremony used to impress an obligation; a solemn oath-taking; an oath.

   • c. 1604–1605, William Shakespeare, “All’s VVell, that Ends VVell”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     I'll take the sacrament on 't.

Translations

Verb

sacrament (third-person singular simple present sacraments, present participle sacramenting, simple past and past participle sacramented)

1. (transitive) To bind by an oath.

   • Bind definition

     To tie; to confine by any ligature. (1 of 19 bind definitions)

   • Oath definition

     A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise. (1 of 4 oath definitions)

See also

• Catholic and Eastern churches have seven sacraments: baptism; confirmation; communion, Mass, or Eucharist; penance; extreme unction (Anointing of the Sick, last rites); holy orders / ordination; and matrimony.
• Protestant churches list two sacraments: baptism and Lord's Supper.
• Eucharistic liturgy
• Holy Eucharist
• Holy Sacrament
• Liturgy
• Lord's Supper
• sacrament on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch sacrament definition

Etymology

From Old French sacrament, from Ecclesiastical Latin sacrāmentum (“sacrament”), from Latin sacrō (“hallow, consecrate”), from sacer (“sacred, holy”), originally sum deposited by parties to a suit.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌsaː.kraːˈmɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sa‧cra‧ment
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

sacrament n (plural sacramenten)

1. (Christianity) sacrament

   • Sacrament definition

     A sacred act or ceremony in Christianity. In Catholic theology, a sacrament is defined as "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." (1 of 5 sacrament definitions)

Derived terms

• laatste sacramenten
• sacramenteel
• sacramentsaltaar
• Sacramentsdag

Descendants

• → Indonesian: sakramen