Sanctifies

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make something holy or sacred ; to officially bless or approve something as legitimate
2. To consecrate or render sacred by religious rite ; to formally approve or give official sanction
3. To set apart as sacred or holy ; to endorse or authenticate through a formal blessing

Etymology: "Sanctifies" is the third-person singular form of "sanctify," so its history is that of the verb itself. The core of the verb is Latin "sanctus," meaning "holy," joined to "facere," "to make or do." To sanctify was literally to make something holy, and the Latin compound "sānctificāre" carried that idea into Late Latin. The word reached English by way of Old French and Anglo-Norman, where forms such as "saintefier" and "seintefier" appeared before the English spelling settled. Along the way the Latin shape was partly restored, which is why the English form looks more Latin than its French ancestor did. The result keeps its two parts visible: "sanct-" for holiness and "-ify" for making something a certain way.

Synonyms: consecrates, blesses