sacrilege

noun

ˈsa-krə-lij How to pronounce sacrilege (audio)
Definition of sacrilegenext
as in blasphemy
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things spitting on the temple floor would be a great sacrilege

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sacrilege In other words, there’s a chance that Jenner could reach free agency and sign with another club, an idea that would have seemed near sacrilege not long ago. — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026 At many Jewish institutions, rejecting Zionism is indeed regarded as a form of sacrilege. — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 That’s the ultimate Hollywood sacrilege. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026 Doing anything else would be sacrilege to the faithful, as well as false to the friendship that exists at the center of this Broadway behemoth. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sacrilege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sacrilege
  1. blasphemy
  2. desecration
  3. violation
  4. cursing
  5. profanation
  6. impiety
  7. corruption
Noun
  • If the state decides to officially charge him with blasphemy, Pragiwaksono could go to trial.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026
  • Astorino, the textbook author, went so far as to decry the showcase as something close to blasphemy.
    — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of blasphemy
Noun
  • When Debbie, Susan, and Thom come over for a double-date pizza night, only Bret is concerned about the spate of recent home invasions, the missing pets, and the desecration of the griffin mascot.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • He was convicted of offenses including desecration of national symbols, contempt and public ​disorder, and spent five years in the Guanajay prison near Havana.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Definition of desecration
Noun
  • Miles says similar texts were sent to others about the recall, and that the texts constitute quid pro quo, a major ethics violation.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The party also viewed Yabloko’s stance on Ukraine as unlawful and tantamount to calling for the violation of Russia’s territorial integrity.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Hoodoo was not only considered a means of assisting people; it has also been associated with hexing or cursing and, in the 18th and 19th centuries, with poisoning.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Danhausen transcended into the mainstream zeitgeist after cursing and un-cursing the New York Knicks en route to the team winning the NBA Championship after a 52-year drought.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of cursing
Noun
  • Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.
    — Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
  • No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.
    — John Edgar Wideman, The New Yorker, 8 July 2021
Definition of profanation
Noun
  • By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.
    — Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of impiety
Noun
  • Times when this line has fundamentally blurred, such as with Nixon and Watergate, have been some of the most notorious instances of overreach and corruption in our history.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Collins has been behind in numerous polls, and has been fighting a House ethics investigation and accusations of corruption and associations with white supremacists throughout his campaign.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of corruption

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sacrificing
sacrilege
sacrileges
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Cite this Entry

“Sacrilege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sacrilege. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sacrilege

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sacrilege

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