sacrificial

[sak-ruh-fish-uhl]

adjective

1. pertaining to or concerned with sacrifice.

sacrificial

/ ˌsækrɪˈfɪʃəl /

adjective

1. used in or connected with a sacrifice

Other Word Forms

• sacrificially adverb
• nonsacrificial adjective
• oversacrificial adjective
• oversacrificially adverb
• presacrificial adjective
• unsacrificial adjective
• unsacrificially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sacrificial¹

1600–10; < Latin sacrifici ( um ) sacrifice + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Instead of playing out the sacrificial stereotype, the writers revert to the savior archetype.

From Salon

The workshop leaders discussed the possibility of creating a “sacrificial zone,” potentially under trees, where materials such as lead-laced plants are composted.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was such a revelation to me as a kid, but later I was more interested in who the person was that would agree to be the sacrificial lamb,” Bradford said.

From Los Angeles Times

“So its sacrificial role in the overall design appears to have functioned as intended, absorbing the brunt of the surge, and helping to protect the more interior docks.”

From Los Angeles Times

I liked chunks of the film, but it rankled me that she framed the spouse as such a consolation-prize loser to make her heroine come off as sacrificial.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does sacrificial mean?

Sacrificial is used to describe things that involve a sacrifice—something important or precious that is given up for the sake of gaining something or allowing something to happen that is considered more important.The thing being sacrificed can be tangible, like a valued object, or intangible, like time or health, as in, I would never sacrifice my health just to make more money.The words sacrifice and sacrificial are often used in the context of religious offerings. Such a sacrifice might be an animal that is killed and offered to a god or gods.The term sacrificial lamb is a reference to such religious sacrifices and is often used in a metaphorical way to refer to someone who is sacrificed in some way for the benefit of others. The term is often used in overlapping ways with the word scapegoat.Example: Archaeologists think the site was once used for sacrificial rituals.