Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or concerned with a sacrifice.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of, pertaining to, or used in sacrifice; concerned with sacrificing; consisting in or including sacrifice: as, sacrificial robes; a sacrificial meal.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to sacrifice or sacrifices; consisting in sacrifice; performing sacrifice.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Relating to sacrifice
  • adjective Used as a sacrifice.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective used in or connected with a sacrifice

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin sacrificiālis ("sacrificial"), from sacrificium ("sacrifice"), from sacrificus ("sacrificial"), from sacrificō ("sacrifice"), from sacer ("sacred, holy") + faciō ("do, make").

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Examples

  • This is, of course, the provenance of the term sacrificial lamb.

    Progressive Bloggers 2009

  • The Conquistadors abolished cannibalism and human sacrifice, wars to obtain sacrificial victims, and the panoply of bloodthirsty gods.

    Stromata Blog: 2009

  • The Conquistadors abolished cannibalism and human sacrifice, wars to obtain sacrificial victims, and the panoply of bloodthirsty gods.

    History 2010

  • The Conquistadors abolished cannibalism and human sacrifice, wars to obtain sacrificial victims, and the panoply of bloodthirsty gods.

    The Logic of the Anti-Columbians 2009

  • Marshall is what you call a sacrificial lamb in this race.

    Waldo Jaquith - My RPV convention wish list. 2008

  • Indeed, they have been known to roast innocent tourists in sacrificial banquets designed to appease their gods, as well as conducting other heinous acts too gruesome to describe.

    Vader's Pastorale 2005

  • "Frankincense" was an aromatic used in sacrificial offerings;

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • The ideal temple exhibits, under Old Testament forms (used as being those then familiar to the men whom Ezekiel, a priest himself, and one who delighted in sacrificial images, addresses), not the precise literal outline, but the essential character of the worship of Messiah as it shall be when He shall exercise sway in Jerusalem among His own people, the Jews, and thence to the ends of the earth.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • Kansas (D): Quick, name the sacrificial lamb, er, Democratic nominee against Sen. Sam Brownback (R).

    RGA fundraising gives GOP edge in final weeks of gubernatorial races Chris Cillizza 2010

  • I don't know of a place where there has been so much money put in it or so much sacrificial devotion and I use that word sacrificial, advisedly.

    The Significance of South America to Canada 1941

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