sanctify
/ˈsæŋk.tɪ.faɪ/verb
sanctify is spelled S-A-N-C-T-I-F-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 61,481st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, sanctify means “To make holy; to consecrate; to set aside for sacred or ceremonial use” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sanctify?
| Letters | 8: S-A-N-C-T-I-F-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 61,481st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is sanctify?
Sanctify appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 61,481st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce sanctify?
- US /ˈsæŋk.tɪ.faɪ/
Sanctify has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-sanctify.ogg, En-au-sanctify.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of sanctify
- sanctifies present, singular, he/she/it
- sanctifying participle, present
- sanctified participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sanctify mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make holy; to consecrate; to set aside for sacred or ceremonial use.
- 2
To free from sin; to purify.
- 3
To make acceptable or useful under religious law or practice.
- 4
To endorse with religious sanction.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sanctify in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to make holy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | consacrer, sanctifier |
| German | heiligen |
| Portuguese | santificar, consagrar |
| Spanish | santificar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does sanctify come from?
From Anglo-Norman seintefier, from Old French saintefier, from Late Latin sānctificō, from Latin sānctus (“holy”) + faciō (“do, make”). Form altered to conform with Latin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).