Does sacrificing a permanent cause it to be destroyed?

When a player sacrifices a permanent, the action does not involve destruction in the same way that some other game actions do. Sacrificing a permanent is a specific instruction that causes that permanent to be put into the graveyard, but it does not signify that the permanent has been destroyed. Destruction involves a different set of mechanics and can be responded to in various ways, such as with regeneration or spells that prevent the destruction effect, but sacrificing is a definite action that simply moves the permanent directly from the battlefield to the graveyard without the intermediate step of being destroyed.

The distinction is important within the framework of Magic: The Gathering rules, as certain abilities or spells can react differently to a permanent being sacrificed compared to it being destroyed. Thus, understanding that sacrificing a permanent constitutes a separate action from destruction aids in grasping the nuances of the game's mechanics.