asylum

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

a·sy·lum

(ə-sī′ləm)

1. Protection and immunity from extradition granted by a government to a political refugee from another country.

a. A place offering protection and safety; a shelter. See Synonyms at shelter.

b. Protection or shelter; refuge: viewed her friend's apartment as a place of asylum.

c. A place, such as a church, formerly constituting an inviolable refuge for criminals or debtors.

3. An institution for the care of people, especially those with physical or mental disabilities, who require organized supervision or assistance.

[Middle English asilum, refuge, from Latin asȳlum, from Greek asūlon, sanctuary, from neuter of asūlos, inviolable : a-, without; see a-¹ + sūlon, right of seizure.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

asylum

(əˈsaɪləm)

1. a safe or inviolable place of refuge, esp as formerly offered by the Christian Church to criminals, outlaws, etc; sanctuary (often in the phrase give asylum to)

2. shelter; refuge

3. (Law) international law refuge afforded to a person whose extradition is sought by a foreign government: political asylum.

4. (Social Welfare) obsolete an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a mental hospital (formerly termed lunatic asylum)

[C15: via Latin from Greek asulon refuge, from asulos that may not be seized, from a-¹ + sulon right of seizure]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•sy•lum

(əˈsaɪ ləm)

n.

1. (esp. formerly) an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance.

2. an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary.

3. protection or shelter granted by a country or embassy to refugees from another country, esp. refugees escaping arrest or prosecution: political asylum.

4. any secure retreat.

[1400–50; late Middle English; < Latin < Greek ásȳlon sanctuary =a- a-⁶ + sŷlon right of seizure]

asylum

- Comes from Greek asulon, "refuge," from asulos, "inviolable."

asylum

noun

1. (Old-fashioned) mental hospital, hospital, institution, psychiatric hospital, madhouse (informal), funny farm (facetious), loony bin (slang), nuthouse (slang), rubber room (U.S. slang), laughing academy (U.S. slang) He spent the rest of his life in a mental asylum.

2. refuge, security, haven, safety, protection, preserve, shelter, retreat, harbour, sanctuary He applied for asylum after fleeing his home country.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

asylum

noun

1. An institution that provides care and shelter:

home, hospice, hospital, shelter.

2. Something that physically protects, especially from danger:

cover, covert, harbor, haven, protection, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, shelter.

3. The state of being protected or safeguarded, as from danger or hardship:

harborage, refuge, sanctuary, shelter.

Translations

مَلْجَأمَلْجَأ لِلعَجَزَه

azylblázinec

asylfristed

Asyl Heim Irrenanstalt

άσυλο

asilo manicomio

turvapaikka

asile abri

azil

elmegyógyintézetmenedékjog

geîveikrahælihæli

asilo politico asilo casa di ricovero manicomio ospizio

亡命

보호 시설

prieglaudaprieglobstispsichiatrinė ligoninė

patvērumspsihiatriskā slimnīca

azyl

azil

asyl

ที่ลี้ภัย

sığınma tımarhane

nơi ẩn náu

庇护精神病院避难

asylum

[əˈsaɪləm]

A. N

1. (= refuge) → asilo m
to seek political asylum → pedir asilo político
to afford or give asylum to sb [place] → servir de asilo a algn; [person] → dar asilo a algn

2. (o.f.) (= mental hospital) → manicomio m

B. CPD asylum seeker N → solicitante mf de asilo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

asylum

[əˈsaɪləm] n → asile m
to seek political asylum → demander l'asile politique
to claim asylum → demander l'asile
to claim political asylum → demander l'asile politique
to give sb asylum → donner asile à qn
to give sb political asylum → donner l'asile politique à qn
to grant sb asylum → accorder l'asile à qn
to grant sb political asylum → accorder l'asile politique à qnasylum seeker n → demandeur/euse m/f d'asile

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

asylum

→ Asyl nt; to ask for (political) asylum → um (politisches) Asyl bitten

(= lunatic asylum) → (Irren)anstalt f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

asylum

[əˈsaɪləm] n

a. (refuge) → asilo, rifugio
to seek political asylum → chiedere asilo politico

b. (also lunatic asylum) → manicomio

asylum

(əˈsailəm) noun

1. safety; protection. He was granted political asylum.

2. an old name for a home for people who are mentally ill.

asylum

→ مَلْجَأ azyl asyl Asyl άσυλο asilo turvapaikka asile azil asilo politico 亡命 보호 시설 asiel asyl azyl asilo, asilo político убежище asyl ที่ลี้ภัย sığınma nơi ẩn náu 庇护

a·sy·lum

n. asilo.

asylum

n asilo; insane — (ant) hospital psiquiátrico or mental, manicomio (ant)

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

had its places of asylum. These sanctuaries, in the midst of the deluge of penal and barbarous jurisdictions which inundated the city, were a species of islands which rose above the level of human justice.

His foot once within the asylum, the criminal was sacred; but he must beware of leaving it; one step outside the sanctuary, and he fell back into the flood.

View in context

It had been accordingly arranged that he should remove Miserrimus Dexter to the asylum of which he was the proprietor as soon as the preparations for receiving the patient could be completed.

View in context

We're getting a little boy from an orphan asylum in Nova Scotia and he's coming on the train tonight."

View in context

"What asylum did this yer last witness escape from?"

View in context

But the idea of absolute insanity which we all associate with the very name of an Asylum, had, I can honestly declare, never occurred to me, in connection with her.

View in context

"When my father died at the asylum over at Day- ton, I went over there.

View in context

But it will be owing only to your labors, and the fearless efforts of those who, trampling the laws and Constitution of the country under their feet, are determined that they will "hide the out- cast," and that their hearths shall be, spite of the law, an asylum for the oppressed, if, some time or other, the humblest may stand in our streets, and bear witness in safety against the cruelties of which he has been the victim.

View in context

Do you belong to the asylum, or are you just on a visit or something like that?"

View in context

And he was led away to the Asylum for the Indiscreet.

View in context

Loscombe's correspondent -- the nephew of the gentleman who owns this house, and whose charity has given me an asylum, during the heavy affliction of my sickness, under his own roof.

View in context

He told them that steps would be taken immediately to free his serfs- and that till then they were not to be overburdened with labor, women while nursing their babies were not to be sent to work, assistance was to be given to the serfs, punishments were to be admonitory and not corporal, and hospitals, asylums, and schools were to be established on all the estates.

Noun	1.	asylum - a shelter from danger or hardship sanctuary, refuge harbor, harbour - a place of refuge and comfort and security safehold - a refuge from attack safe house - a house used as a hiding place or refuge by members of certain organizations shelter - a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
	2.	asylum - a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person mental home, mental hospital, mental institution, psychiatric hospital, insane asylum, institution crazy house, cuckoo's nest, funny farm, funny house, loony bin, madhouse, nut house, nuthouse, sanatorium, snake pit, Bedlam - pejorative terms for an insane asylum hospital, infirmary - a health facility where patients receive treatment