gave up something valuable or important for a greater purpose or for someone else's benefit.
From Latin 'sacrificium,' combining 'sacer' (sacred/holy) and 'facere' (to make or do)—literally 'to make sacred.' Originally it meant rituals where animals were offered to gods, but the meaning expanded to any serious loss or surrender.
The ancient practice of animal sacrifice connected 'sacred' and 'make' into one concept—'sacrifice'—and shows how religious practices shaped words across thousands of languages, because most cultures had some version of offering things to the divine.
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