late 14c., consecracioun, "the act of separating from a common to a sacred use, ritual dedication to God," especially the ritual consecration of the bread and wine of the Eucharist, from Latin consecrationem (nominative consecratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of consecrare "to make holy, devote," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + sacrare "to make or declare sacred" (see sacred). Old English used eallhalgung as a loan-translation of Latin consecratio.
