noun
asylum
uh-SEYE-luhm
noun
1
Protection given by a country to someone fleeing danger or persecution in their own country.
"She applied for asylum after fleeing the civil war."
"The government granted him political asylum."
2
A place of safety or refuge.
"The old chapel became an asylum for anyone in trouble."
3
(dated) An institution for the care of people with mental illness.
"In the 19th century many patients were confined to asylums with little real treatment."
How to Use Asylum
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSafety and shelter given to someone fleeing danger — or, in older usage, an institution that housed the mentally ill.
Common mistake
The "mental hospital" sense is now dated and can sound insensitive; "psychiatric hospital" is the modern term.
Common pairings
seek asylum
grant asylum
asylum seeker
political asylum
Word Forms
asylumed past tense, asylums plural, asyla plural, asylums singular
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She applied for _____ after fleeing the civil war.
Etymology
From Latin asylum, from Ancient Greek asylon ("sanctuary, refuge"), literally "not subject to seizure."