Enshrinement

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of placing something in a sacred or honored position, or the state of being formally preserved and protected within a system of laws or beliefs
2. The act of formally preserving a significant idea or object within a revered context, signifying its importance and protection by cultural or legal standards
3. The process of setting an object or idea in a revered or holy place as a mark of respect ; the condition where something is officially safeguarded by legal or cultural frameworks

Etymology: "Enshrinement" is a plain English formation: the verb "enshrine" with the suffix "-ment" added. The verb itself is built from "en-", a prefix that turns a noun into a verb meaning "put into" or "place within", and "shrine", a word that originally meant a container for sacred relics or a box for holy objects. To enshrine something is therefore to place it inside a shrine, and the noun names the act of doing so. The prefix "en-" has an unusually long pedigree. It comes from a Latin "in-" that entered Old French as "en-" and then passed into Middle English, where it was attached to native English words such as "shrine" to form new verbs. The suffix "-ment" follows a similar path: it descends from Latin "-mentum", which formed nouns denoting a result or instrument of an action, and reached English through Old French. Verbs ending in "-ment" were produced from roots and stems on this model, so "enshrinement" is a noun built on that pattern.

Synonyms: sanctification, enthronement, establishment, veneration, reverence

Antonyms: disrespect, desecration, disregard, abandonment, neglect