sacrificial

Sacrificial is used to describe things that involve a sacrifice—something important or precious that is given up for the sake of gaining something or allowing something to happen that is considered more important.

The thing being sacrificed can be tangible, like a valued object, or intangible, like time or health, as in, I would never sacrifice my health just to make more money.

The words sacrifice and sacrificial are often used in the context of religious offerings. Such a sacrifice might be an animal that is killed and offered to a god or gods.

The term sacrificial lamb is a reference to such religious sacrifices and is often used in a metaphorical way to refer to someone who is sacrificed in some way for the benefit of others. The term is often used in overlapping ways with the word scapegoat.

Example: Archaeologists think the site was once used for sacrificial rituals.

The first records of the word sacrificial come from the 1600s. The suffix -al makes it an adjective form of sacrifice, which comes from the Latin sacrificium, from sacer, meaning “holy,” and facere, meaning “to make.” The root sacer is also the basis for words like sacred and sacrilege.

Sacrifice is commonly used outside of religious contexts. Sacrificial can also be used in general ways, but it is perhaps most closely associated with its religious uses. The central figure of Christianity, Jesus, is viewed by Christians as a sacrificial figure who served as a sacrifice for the sake of human salvation.

What are some other forms related to sacrificial?

• sacrificially (adverb)
• sacrifice (noun, verb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with sacrificial? 

• sacred
• sacrilege

What are some words that often get used in discussing sacrificial?

• offering
• ritual
• animal
• lamb
• figure
• altar
• give up
• surrender

The word sacrificial can be used in many different contexts. It is closely associated with religious uses.

just thinking about the significance of movie titles with the word “rise” in them and how even in Nolan’s gritty-dark Batman trilogy the title character did in fact rise, and even though he “died” a sacrificial death he was resurrected and living a happy life in peace

— rachel ✨twinkling intensifies✨ (@greyjedireylo) February 9, 2021

Grocery chains grew profits by $18 billion in the pandemic so far. Almost all stopped hero pay after a month.

29,000 grocery workers got covid and 74% of them aren't eligible for vaccine yet.

We're not treating them as "essential." They're sacrificial.https://t.co/fZRruG3tBO

— Dan Price (@DanPriceSeattle) February 8, 2021

POC in fantasy are constantly marginalized or sacrificial lambs for the furtherance of the plot. Writing my own ppl the right way #amwriting

— Nicole Bad & Blerdy (@alamanecer) October 13, 2016

Is sacrificial used correctly in the following sentence?

The move is widely seen as sacrificial—he is giving up some of his holdings in order to make gains elsewhere.