sanctify, v.
(ˈsæŋktɪfaɪ)
Forms: 4 seintefie, 5 seintifie, sayntifie, -efy, (6 santifye, -yfy); 5 saynctyfy, 6 sainctify; 5–7 sanctifie, 5–6 sanctyfy, 6– sanctify.
[ME. seintefie, etc., later (after Latin) sanctifie, a. OF. saintifier (12th c.), sant-, sanctifier, etc., ad. eccl. L. sanctificāre to make holy or treat as holy, to sanctify, consecrate, dedicate, f. L. sanctus holy: see -fy.]
† 1. trans. To set apart religiously for an office or function; to consecrate (a king, etc.). Obs.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 234 Bot yit a kinges hihe astat, Which of his ordre as a prelat Schal ben enoignt and seintefied. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) v. vi. 99 He hath blessyd and saynctyfyed a newe precious plante that is comen of theyr lyne and descendyd fro the stock of dauyd. 1526 Tindale John x. 36 Saye ye then to hym, whom the father hath sanctified [ἡγίασε], and sent into the worlde: Thou blasphemest..? 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iv. v. 115 Let all the Teares, that should bedew my Hearse Be drops of Balme, to sanctifie thy head. 1660 Jer. Taylor Worthy Commun. i. §3. 59 Thus God sanctified Aaron. |
† 2. To canonize, make a saint of.
Obs.| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 317 The feste and the profession..Was mad with gret solempnete, Where as Diane is seintefied. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 427/1 Saint yues was borne in litel britayn..and was reuelyd to his moder in hyr slepe that he shold be sayntefyed. 1529 [implied in sanctifying vbl. n.]. 1631 Weever Anc. Funeral Mon. 271 Sanctifying such as did..build them houses. |
† 3. a. To honour as holy; to ascribe holiness to;
= hallow v.
1 3.
Obs.| c 1450 Lovelich Grail xvi. 292 And Alle the tothere gonnen forth to gon, Cristes Name to sanctefien Anon. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 35 Pitagoras saide that it is..a noble thing to serue god, & to sayntifie his sainctes to dispreyse the world [etc.]. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 171 Sanctificetur nomen tuum: that is, Sanctifyed be thy name. 1526 Tindale 1 Pet. iii. 15 Sanctifie the lorde god in youre hertes. 1582 N.T. (Rhem.) Matt. vi. 9 Ovr father which art in heauen, sanctified be thy name [other versions hallowed]. 1601 Shakes. All's Well iii. iv. 11 Whilst I from farre, His name with zealous feruour sanctifie. |
b. To manifest (God, his might, etc.) as holy.
| 1535 Coverdale Num. xx. 13 This is y⊇ water of strife, where the children of Israel stroue with the Lorde and he was sanctified vpon them [1611 he was sanctified in them]. 1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. (S.T.S.) 116 In all his wayis the Lord is just and rycht, In all his warkis is sanctifyit his mycht. 1611 Bible Ezek. xxxvi. 23 And I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the heathen,..and the heathen shall know, that I am the Lord,..when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. |
4. a. To consecrate (a thing); to set apart as holy or sacred.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 260 b/2 The ayer and the heuen were puryfyed by thassumpcion of the sowle..and the water was sayntyfyed by the wasshyng of the body. 1530 Tindale Prol. Exod., Sanctefie, to clense and purifie, to apointe a thinge vnto holie vses and to seperate from vnclene and unholye vses. 1535 Coverdale Gen. ii. 3 And [God] blessed the seuenth daye, & sanctified it. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. V 8 b, Which ground was sanctifyed by Sainct Peter him selfe. 1832 W. Palmer Orig. Liturg. I. 162 A verbal oblation of the bread and wine, and an invocation of God to send his holy Spirit to sanctify them into the sacraments of Christ's body and blood. 1899 W. M. Ramsay in Expositor Nov. 437 The new moon was then declared and sanctified, even though it had not actually been seen and reported by any witnesses. |
b. To keep (a day, etc.) holy; to keep or observe as holy.
= hallow v.
1 4.
| 1604 R. Cawdrey Table Alph., Sanctifie, to make holie, hallowe, or keepe holy. 1709 Abp. Sharp Serm. (1754) I. ix. 241 Those men have little or no sense of religion, that make no conscience of sanctifying that day, or that put no difference between it and other days. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Sanctification, By sanctifying the sabbath, is meant, the spending it in prayer, praise, &c. not in worldly concerns. |
5. a. To make (a person) holy, to purify or free from sin; to cause to undergo sanctification.
| 1526 Tindale 1 Cor. vi. 11 Ye are wesshed: ye are sanctified: ye are iustified [etc.]. 1530 Palsgr. 697/2, I santifye, I halowe, or make holye, je sanctifie... We rede in Scripture that some have ben sanctyfyed in their mothers wombes. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Catechism, God the holy goste, who sanctifyeth me. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xxxv. 220 The Elect in the New Testament were said to bee sanctified. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 257 ¶8 What Actions can express the entire Purity of Thought which refines and sanctifies a virtuous Man? 1865 R. W. Dale Jew. Temple iii. (1877) 38 It is still true that we need the power of the Holy Ghost to sanctify our hearts. |
| absol. 1531 Frith Judgem. Tracy Wks. (1573) 78/2 S. Paule committeth the power of sanctifying to Christ only. Heb. 2. 1841 Myers Cath. Th. iv. §2. 185 All truth ennobles, and some sanctifies. |
b. Chiefly in the Old Testament: To free from ceremonial impurity.
| a 1500 in Tundale's Visions (1843) 128 Sche of prest halowed and sanctyfyed Retowrned hom all fully puryfyed. 1535 Coverdale Exod. xix. 10 Go vnto the people, and sanctifie them today and tomorrow, y{supt} they maye wash their clothes, and be ready agaynst the thirde daye. 1535 ― Num. xi. 18 Vnto y⊇ people thou shalt saye: Sanctifye youre selues agaynst tomorow, y{supt} ye maye eate flesh. 1611 Bible Josh. iii. 5. |
6. To render holy, impart sanctity to (a thing, quality, action or condition); to render legitimate or binding by a religious sanction.
| ? 1402 Quixley Ball. xi. in Yorksh. Arch. Jrnl. (1908) XX. 45 A wedloke suche was neuer gracieuse, Where god lyst not it to senitifie [sic]. 1526 Tindale 1 Tim. iv. 5 For all the creatures of God are good: and nothynge to be refused, yff it be receaved with thankes gevynge: For it is sanctified by the worde of god and prayer. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iv. iv. 4 Wee will our Youth lead on to higher Fields, And draw no Swords, but what are sanctify'd. 1700 Dryden Sigism. & Guisc. 164 That holy Man, amaz'd at what he saw, Made haste to sanctifie the Bliss by Law. 1718 Pope Iliad ix. 223 Yet, more to sanctify the word you send, Let Hodius and Eurybates attend. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms iii. 103 The Island Queen becomes thy bride And God and Nature sanctify the vow. 1863 Kinglake Crimea (1876) I. iv. 60 Ambition was sanctified by Religion. 1868 M. Pattison Academ. Org. v. 320 The Puritans of a former age imagined, that by the employment of Scripture phraseology they sanctified common conversation. 1872 E. W. Robertson Hist. Ess. 207 The Church could neither make nor unmake a king, she could only sanctify his election by her benediction. |
7. transf. To impart real or apparent sacredness to; to entitle to reverence or respect; to give a colour of morality or innocence to; to justify, sanction. Now
rare or
Obs.| 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iii. ii. 190 As true as Troylus, shall crowne vp the Verse, And sanctifie the numbers. 1701 Rowe Amb. Step-Moth. i. i. 179 Thy function too will varnish o're our Arts And sanctifie dissembling. 1738 Pope Epil. Sat. ii. 246 Truth guards the Poet, sanctifies the line. 1749 Johnson Irene iii. viii, Be virtuous Ends pursued by virtuous Means, Nor think th' Intention sanctifies the Deed. 1774 Burke Amer. Tax. Sel. Wks. I. 109 Does not this Letter adopt and sanctify the American distinction of taxing for a revenue? 18.. Bentham Draught of Code Wks. 1843 IV. 380 Custom, which sanctifies all absurdities. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. Ind. II. v. vii. 607 If under such circumstances as these a zeal for the Government which he served could sanctify his actions, then may Jefferies be regarded as a virtuous judge. 1818 Scott Let. to Joanna Baillie Dec. in Lockhart, So let the intention sanctify the error, if there should be one. 1865 Kingsley Herew. xxx, And he argued stoutly with St. Peter and with his own conscience, that the means sanctify the end, and that he had done it all for the best. |
8. ‘To make a means of holiness’ (J.); to render productive of or conducive to holiness or spiritual blessing.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lx. §5 The vertues which sanctified those sufferings and made them pretious in Gods sight. 1648 Eikon Bas. ii. 8 Those Judgments God hath pleased to send upon Mee, are..a means (I hope) which his mercie hath sanctified so to Mee, as to make Mee repent of that unjust Act. 1662 Bk. Com. Prayer, Visit. Sick, Sanctifie, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction to him. 1758 S. Hayward Serm. i. 8 Sufferings..are sanctified and made a means of preparing for heaven. 1802 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) III. 160 They have made peace, and may the Lord sanctify it to them. |
9. slang. To blackmail (a person),
esp. for the purposes of extracting political favours.
Cf. sanctification 4.
| 1977 J. Gardner Werewolf Trace vii. 71 Can't you sanctify him, or give him a dose of measles? Isn't that how you people talk about blackmail and murder? Ibid. xiv. 127 They've sanctified Maubert... It's what they call it. They've made him holy, separated him. Blackmailed him. |