Definition of 'asylum'
Video: pronunciation of
asylum
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
Word Frequency
asylum in British English
noun
1.
2.
shelter; refuge
3. international law
political asylum
4. obsolete
an institution for the shelter, treatment, or confinement of individuals, esp a psychiatric hospital (previously termed lunatic asylum)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C15: via Latin from Greek asulon refuge, from asulos that may not be seized, from a-1 + sulon right of seizure
Word Frequency
asylum in American English
(əˈsailəm)
noun
SYNONYMS 2. haven, shelter, retreat1. (esp formerly)
an institution for the maintenance and care of persons requiring specialized assistance, such as orphans or people with mental illnesses
2.
an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors; sanctuary
He sought asylum in the church
3. International Law
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1400–50; late ME; ‹ L ‹ Gk ásȳlon sanctuary, equiv. to a- a-6 + sŷlon right of seizure]Examples of 'asylum' in a sentence
asylum
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In other languages
asylum
British English: asylum
/əˈsaɪləm/ NOUN
If a government gives a person from another country asylum, they allow them to stay, usually because they are unable to return home safely for political reasons.
He applied for asylum in 1987.
- American English: asylum /əˈsaɪləm/
- Arabic: مَلْجَأ
- Brazilian Portuguese: asilo político
- Chinese: 庇护
- Croatian: azil
- Czech: azyl
- Danish: asyl
- Dutch: asiel
- European Spanish: asilo
- Finnish: turvapaikka myönnetty
- French: asile
- German: Asyl
- Greek: άσυλο
- Italian: asilo politico
- Japanese: 亡命
- Korean: 보호 시설
- Norwegian: asyl
- Polish: azyl
- European Portuguese: asilo
- Romanian: azilpolitic
- Russian: убежище
- Latin American Spanish: asilo
- Swedish: asyl
- Thai: สถานที่ลี้ภัยทางการเมือง
- Turkish: sığınma
- Ukrainian: притулок
- Vietnamese: nơi ẩn náu
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Definition of asylum from the Collins English Dictionary
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