sanctum sanctorum
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsæŋktəm sæŋˈtɔrəm/
:
santo de los santos
- Everyone needs a sanctum sanctorum to escape the chaos of life.
Examples
-
Every evening he retreated to his sanctum sanctorum to read in solitude.
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She considered her studio a sanctum sanctorum where only a select few were ever invited.
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The professor's office was her sanctum sanctorum, filled with rare books and personal mementos.
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The library is my sanctum sanctorum where I can focus on my writing.
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After a long day, I retreat to my sanctum sanctorum, where I can relax and unwind.
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The artist's studio serves as a sanctum sanctorum, free from distractions and open to inspiration.
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Her bedroom is her sanctum sanctorum, a space where she can feel safe and peaceful.
Synonyms
55
5.5
A holy part of a religious building around the altar
9
8.2
A private place where you can be alone and feel calm
4
9.1
A place where monks or nuns live away from the rest of the world
4
9.9
A church room where the priest keeps and prepares robes and other things for services
1
9.9
A special place in a church where people keep holy objects
A very private inner part of a place where only a few people can go
Antonyms
How Private
Surface Forms
Morphology
sanctum + sanctorum
This is a fixed Latin phrase borrowed into English; the second element ('sanctorum') is not a familiar English word and the genitive plural morphology is not accessible to a B1 learner, so the precise meaning ('innermost most sacred place') cannot be derived from the parts. Although 'sanctum' suggests a private or sacred space, the full idiomatic sense and superlative force of the expression are language-specific and therefore not transparently predictable.
Etymology
Sanctum sanctorum comes from Latin words sanctum and sanctorum, used for a temple's inner and very holy room. Because that room was only for a few people, calling a place a sanctum sanctorum today means it is someone's 'private' or 'special' place.