Sanctuary vs. Temple — What's the Difference?

A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety.

A temple (from the Latin templum) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Islam (whose temples are called mosques), Judaism (whose temples are called synagogues), and ancient religions such as the Ancient Egyptian religion.

A sacred place, such as a church, temple, or mosque.

A building devoted to the worship of a god or gods.

The holiest part of a sacred place, as the part of a Christian church around the altar.

A group of buildings in Fleet Street, London, which stand on land formerly occupied by the headquarters of the Knights Templar. Located there are the Inner and Outer Temple, two of the Inns of Court.

A sacred place, such as a church, in which fugitives formerly were immune to arrest.

The flat part of either side of the head between the forehead and the ear

Immunity to arrest afforded by a sanctuary

A device in a loom for keeping the cloth stretched.

The condition of being protected or comforted

A building dedicated to religious ceremonies or worship.

A place of refuge or asylum.

Temple Either of two successive buildings in ancient Jerusalem serving as the primary center for Jewish worship.

A reserved area in which birds and other animals, especially wild animals, are protected from hunting or disturbance.

(Judaism) A synagogue, especially of a Reform congregation.

A place of safety, refuge, or protection.

Mormon Church A building in which the sacred ordinances are administered.

An area set aside for protection.

Something regarded as having within it a divine presence.

A state of being protected, asylum.

A building used for meetings by any of several fraternal orders, such as the Freemasons.

The consecrated (or sacred) area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.

A building reserved for a highly valued function

A sacred place; a consecrated spot; a holy and inviolable site.

Temple Either of two groups of buildings in London, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple, that house two of the four Inns of Court and that occupy the site of a complex used by the medieval Knights Templars.

A consecrated place where sacred objects are kept

The flat region on either side of the forehead.

A shelter from danger or hardship

Either of the sidepieces of a frame for eyeglasses that extends along the temple and over the ear.

Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing

A device in a loom that keeps the cloth stretched to the correct width during weaving.

A house of worship, especially:

A house of worship dedicated to a polytheistic faith.

(Judaism) synagogue, especially a non-Orthodox synagogue.

(Mormonism) As opposed to an LDS meetinghouse, a church closed to non-Mormons and necessary for particular rituals.

(in Japan) A Buddhist monastery, as opposed to a Shinto shrine.

A meeting house of the Oddfellows fraternity; its members.

(figurative) Any place regarded as holding a religious presence.

(figurative) Any place seen as an important centre for some activity.

(figurative) Anything regarded as important or minutely cared for.

(figurative) A gesture wherein the forefingers are outstretched and touch pad to pad while the other fingers are clasped together.

(anatomy) The slightly flatter region, on either side of the human head, behind of the eye and forehead, above the zygomatic arch, and forward of the ear.

(ophthalmology) Either of the sidepieces on a set of spectacles, extending backwards from the hinge toward the ears and, usually, turning down around them.

(weaving) A contrivance used in a loom for keeping the web stretched transversely.

(transitive) To build a temple for; to appropriate a temple to; to temple a god

A contrivence used in a loom for keeping the web stretched transversely.

The space, on either side of the head, back of the eye and forehead, above the zygomatic arch and in front of the ear.

One of the side bars of a pair of spectacles, jointed to the bows, and passing one on either side of the head to hold the spectacles in place.

A place or edifice dedicated to the worship of some deity; as, the temple of Jupiter at Athens, or of Juggernaut in India.

The edifice erected at Jerusalem for the worship of Jehovah.

Hence, among Christians, an edifice erected as a place of public worship; a church.

Fig.: Any place in which the divine presence specially resides.

A building dedicated to the administration of ordinances.

A local organization of Odd Fellows.

To build a temple for; to appropriate a temple to; as, to temple a god.

Place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

The flat area on either side of the forehead;

An edifice devoted to special or exalted purposes

(Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation