Basic Details
Word: Sacrifice
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The act of giving up something you value for the sake of something or someone more important. It is also used as a verb.
Synonyms: self-denial, surrender
How to Spell Sacrifice
Syllables: sac - ri - fice
Tricky part: The middle vowel is i: sac-ri-fice, not sacrafice. The ending is -fice, as in office, not -fise.
Watch out for: sacrafice, sacrifise, sackrifice, sacrifce
Memory tip: The word ends like office: an office worker who misses lunch to finish a job makes a small sacrifice. Sacri + fice.
Idioms and Phrases
- make the ultimate sacrifice: to die for a cause or for other people Example: "Every year wreaths are laid at the National War Memorial in Delhi for soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Her parents made many sacrifices so that she could train as a badminton player.
Example 2: Giving up television during exams felt like a big sacrifice to my brother.
Example 3: In chess, a player may sacrifice a piece to trap the other king.
Fun Fact
The word comes from Latin sacrificium, made of sacer, holy, and facere, to make. A sacrifice was first something made holy by being offered to a god.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. loyalty 2. sacrafice 3. patience 4. devotion
a) giving up something for a greater cause
b) staying faithful to someone
c) great love and loyalty to someone
d) the ability to wait calmly
Show answer
a) giving up something for a greater cause. Sacrifice has an i after the r, not an a; the other three are spelt correctly.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Our mother made a great ficirsaec so that we could study in a good school.
a) sacrilege
b) sacrifice
c) artifice
d) edifice
Show answer
b) sacrifice. An edifice is a building and artifice is trickery; only sacrifice fits and uses an s, two c's and two i's.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word sacrifice as used in the sentence:
Grandpa chose to sacrifice his own college studies to support his three younger sisters.
a) pursue
b) protect
c) acquire
d) forgo
Show answer
d) forgo. To forgo something is to go without it by choice, which is what Grandpa did.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these shows sacrifice?
a) buying a new phone for your own use
b) winning first prize in a school quiz
c) missing a holiday to nurse a sick friend
d) sleeping late on a quiet Sunday morning
Show answer
c) missing a holiday to nurse a sick friend
2. A team captain who sacrifices personal glory ____.
a) puts the team's success first
b) refuses to play in big matches
c) asks for the biggest trophy
d) always scores the most runs
Show answer
a) puts the team's success first
