To set apart as or declare holy; consecrate. The priest sanctified the altar before the ceremony.
To make legitimate or binding by a religious sanction. The marriage was sanctified by the church.
To purify or free from sin. The ritual was intended to sanctify the participants.
To impart sacredness or respect to something. The community sought to sanctify the land by holding a blessing ceremony.
To give official, moral, or social sanction or approval to The court's decision effectively sanctified the use of surveillance in public places.