- Today's Word
Sacrosanct
SAK-roh-sankt
Definition
(adjective) Regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.
Example
For many, the right to vote is sacrosanct.
Fun Fact
The concept of the “sacrosanct” has deep roots in ancient Roman religion and law, where certain temples, objects, and even people—like tribunes—were considered inviolable by decree. Harming them wasn’t just illegal; it was a religious offense. Today, the idea of sacrosanct still shows up in modern life: national constitutions, personal rituals (like morning coffee), and even time off from work are often treated as “off-limits” zones. It’s a word that’s moved from the sacred to the symbolic, and now shows up in debates over everything from privacy to free speech.
(noun) A natural craving or strong desire; an instinctive inclination toward something
She couldn’t explain her appetence for solo travel — it was simply part of who she was.
Appetence comes from the Latin appetentia, derived from appetere — meaning “to strive after” or “to desire” — itself a combination of ad (“toward”) and petere (“to seek” or “to aim at”). The word entered English in the 17th century, used by philosophers and naturalists to describe instinctive drives in both humans and animals.