Definition of: sacrament

(sak′rə·mənt) noun
1. Eccl. A rite ordained by Christ or by the church as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace: in the Greek Church, also called mystery. Traditionally they are seven in number (baptism, the Eucharist, confirmation, matrimony, orders, penance, and unction) in the Greek, Roman Catholic, and some other churches; since the Reformation only two of these (baptism and the Eucharist) are recognized by most Protestant churches.
2. Often cap. Eccl. a The Eucharist; the Lord's Supper. b The consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist: often with the. See BLESSED SACRAMENT.
3. Any sign or token of a solemn covenant or pledge.
4. Any thing considered to have a secret or mysterious meaning. [<OF sacrement <LL sacramentum a mystery <L, an oath, pledge <sacrare. See SACRED.] Synonyms: ceremony, communion, Eucharist, observance, ordinance, rite, service, solemnity. A ceremony is a form expressing reverence, or respect; as, religious ceremonies, the ceremonies of a coronation or of a wedding. An observance has more than a formal obligation, approaching a religious sacredness; a religious observance viewed as established by authority is called an ordinance; viewed as an established custom, it is a rite. Any religious act, especially a public act, viewed as a means of serving God is called a service. Sacrament and ordinance in the religious sense are often used interchangeably; the ordinance derives its sacredness from the authority that ordained it, while the sacrament possesses a sacredness due to something in itself, even when viewed simply as a memorial. The Lord's Supper is the Scriptural name for the observance commemorating the death of Christ; the word communion is once applied to it (I Cor. X 16). Eucharist, called The Sacrament, describes the Lord's Supper as a thanksgiving service.