noun
asylum
uh-SIGH-lum/əˈsaɪləm/
Protection or shelter for someone seeking safety.
The woman receives asylum inside the guarded compound.
Etymology
The pieces describe a place where the right of seizure did not apply: someone sheltering there could not be taken away without sacrilege. This sanctuary sense developed into protection from pursuit or arrest.
In context
U.S. and international law allows anyone-- man, woman, or child-- fleeing violence to seek asylum.
More examples
- The church offered asylum to those in danger.
- Their application for asylum was reviewed.
- They found a place of asylum across the border.
Forms
asylum · asylums
Similar words
- refuge
- A place or condition of safety.
- sanctuary
- Protection in a safe place, sometimes with a religious association.