Sacrifice

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsækɹɪfaɪs/

Origin

From Latin sacrificium ("sacrifice"), from sacrificō ("make or offer a sacrifice"), from sacer ("sacred, holy"), + faciō ("do, make").

Full definition of sacrifice

Verb

1. (transitive) To offer (something) as a gift to a deity.
2. (transitive) To give away (something valuable) to get at least a possibility to gain something else of value (such as self-respect, trust, love, freedom, prosperity), or to avoid an even greater loss.
• “Don’t you break my heart
  ’Cause I sacrifice to make you happy.” - From the song Baby Don’t You Do It by Marvin Gaye
• “God sacrificed His only-begotten Son, so that all people might have eternal life.” (a paraphrase of John 3:16).
• PriorCondemned to sacrifice his childish years
  To babbling ignorance, and to empty fears.
• G. EliotThe Baronet had sacrificed a large sum ... for the sake of ... making this boy his heir.
3. (transitive) To trade (a value of higher worth) for one of lesser worth in order to gain something else valued more such as an ally or business relationship or to avoid an even greater loss; to sell without profit to gain something other than money.
• Ayn Rand, Atlas ShruggedIf you exchange a penny for a dollar, it is not a sacrifice; if you exchange a dollar for a penny, it is.
4. (transitive, chess) To intentionally give up (a piece) in order to improve one’s position on the board.
5. (transitive, baseball) To advance (a runner on base) by batting the ball so it can be caught or fielded, placing the batter out, but with insufficient time to put the runner out.
6. (dated, tradesmen's slang) To sell at a price less than the cost or actual value.
7. To destroy; to kill.

Synonyms

• (sell without profit) sell at a loss

Derived terms

• sacrificial

Noun

1. The offering of anything to a god; consecratory rite.
• MiltonGreat pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud,
  To Dagon.
2. Destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; devotion of some desirable object in behalf of a higher object, or to a claim deemed more pressing.the sacrifice of one's spare time in order to volunteer
3. Something sacrificed.
• MiltonMoloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood
  Of human sacrifice.
4. (baseball) A play in which the batter is intentionally out in order that runners can advance around the bases.
5. A loss of profit.
6. (slang, dated) A sale at a price less than the cost or the actual value.