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Prepositions after adjectives

Sacred to and related patterns

Sacred to is the main and most natural pattern in English.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows sacred?

Sacred to is the standard pattern for importance, devotion, or religious value. Sacred for is uncommon and usually avoided. In, by, and of often belong to larger sentence structures.

Family traditions are sacred to him
This river is sacred to local communities

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
sacred to + person or group

Showing deep importance or holiness

To introduces the people who value something deeply.

The site is sacred to many pilgrims
2
sacred in + tradition

Describing context

In refers to a religion, culture, or system.

The animal is considered sacred in Hinduism
3
sacred by + group

Passive-style descriptions

By can appear after verbs such as regarded or protected.

The forest is protected as sacred by local tribes

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
sacred to
The ritual is sacred to the community.
deeply valued or holy for someone
sacred in
sacred in Buddhism
holy within a tradition
sacred by
regarded as sacred by residents
by belongs to the passive structure
sacred of
the sacred texts of Islam
of belongs to the noun texts
sacred for
This room is sacred for prayer.
possible in limited contexts but less idiomatic than sacred to

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using sacred for instead of sacred to

To is usually the natural choice for importance or devotion.

✕ The ceremony is sacred for us. ✓ The ceremony is sacred to us.

Omitting as in passive structures

Sacred by alone sounds incomplete.

✓ The mountain is regarded as sacred by locals.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The temple is sacred ___ the villagers.
2. The river is sacred ___ several traditions.
3. The site is regarded as sacred ___ local people.

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Frequently asked questions

Is sacred to the main pattern?

Yes. It is the standard and most common structure.

Can sacred in be correct?

Yes. It refers to a tradition, religion, or culture.

Is sacred for wrong?

It is usually less natural than sacred to.

"sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"? searchable by, on, in, via or through?

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