What is the Latin word for sacrifice?

The usual Latin words for “sacrifice” are sacrificium, piāculum, sacer; also victima, praeda, iaciō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“sacrifice” in Latin

sacrificiumSomething made sacred or given to a deity, sacrifice.piāculumpropitiatory sacrifice, expiation, atonement; an animal offered up in sacrifice, a victim; sin, crime, guilt sacersacred, holy, dedicated (to a divinity), consecrated, hallowed (translating Greek ἱερός); devoted (to a divinity for sac victimasacrificial victim praedaplunder, booty, pillage, spoils of war, property taken in war; prey, game taken in the hunt; gain, profit iaciōto throw, hurl, cast, fling; throw away; to lay, set, establish, build, found, construct, erect; to send forth, emit; br damnumdamage, injury; loss, disadvantage; fine, mulct, penalty sacrificōto sacrifice (something); to make or offer a sacrifice cōnficiōto prepare, accomplish, complete, execute; settle, close a bargain; traverse; to produce, cause, bring about, effect, se perdōto destroy, ruin, wreck; to waste, squander; to have no more, to be deprived of

The English word sacrifice itself goes back to Latin sacer, through sacrificium.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

sacrifice s.

PROP., Anything devoted and offered to a deity, sacrificium (general term); sacrificium piaculare; piaculum (expiatory): res divina; res sacra; sacra, -orum, plur., (as an act of religious worship): hostia piacularis (a victim to be offered as an expiatory sacrifice). To offer a sacrifice, sacrificare; sacrificium facere; sacra facere, conficere. To offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, gratiarum agendarum, persolvendarum, officio satisfacere.

Figuratively, A thing or person devoted, offered, or given up, victima, praeda (when the object is represented as standing in the place of an expiatory victim): jactura (a loss incurred in order to avert some greater evil): damnum (loss). To make a sacrifice, jacturam facere (Caes., Cic.). Without any sacrifice, sine ullo dispendio: to fall a sacrifice to anybody, cadit aliquis alicui victima; to anybody’s avarice, etc., avaritia, malitia, alicujus perire, opprimi (after Cic.). The sacrifice of one’s life, devotio vitae or capitis: by great sacrifices, magnis jacturis (e.g., aliquem ad se perducere; alicujus animum sibi conciliare). To endeavor to save anybody by great personal sacrifices, *capitis ac fortunae periculum adire pro alicujus salute.

sacrifice v.

PROP.., Absolutely, sacrificare; sacrum, sacrificium facere (Cic.): sacra curare; sacris operari; res divinas peragere; hostiis rem divinam facere (Liv.): rem divinam, sacram, facere (Cic.). With an accusative, sacrificare aliquid, aliqua re alicui (Plaut.); sacra facere aliqua re (Liv.): to sacrifice victims, victimas, hostias immolare (Cic.), mactare (Suet.), caedere (Cic.): hostiis sacrificare (Liv.); immolare aliquid (Cic.).

Figuratively, (1) To devote to destruction, perdere (general term): morti dedere or dare (to give up to death; Plaut., Asin., 3, 3, 18; Hor., Sat., 2, 3, 197). To sacrifice otie’s life for anybody, vitam pro aliquo profundere; (for one’s country, etc.) pro patria vitam or sanguinem profundere; pro patria mori; se pro patria ad mortem offerre; pro patria mortem occumbere; sanguinem suum patriae largiri; pro salute patriae caput suum vovere; se suasque fortunas pro incolumitate reipublicae devovere; se suamque vitam reipublicae condonare; pro republica sanguinem effundere. (2) To give up willingly, concedere (to concede): permittere (to yield up, resign): condonare (to give up), alicui aliquid. To sacrifice all to one’s own advantage, *omnia posthabere rebus suis; *prae commodo suo omnia postponere. To sacrifice all to the advantage of another, prae commodo alicujus omnia post esse putare (Ter., Ad., 2, 3, 9). To sacrifice anything to anything, aliquid alicui tribuere (e.g., reipublicae); one’s own interests to the public good, salutem reipublicae suis commodis praeferre. To sacrifice life and property for anybody, capitis ac fortunae periculum adire pro aliquo: to sacrifice a portion of one’s rights, paullum de jure suo decedere; (magnam) facere jacturam juris.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for sacrifice?: The usual Latin words for “sacrifice” are sacrificium, piāculum, sacer; also victima, praeda, iaciō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.