blasphemy

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noun blas·phe·my \ ˈblas-fə-mē \

Definition of blasphemy

plural blasphemies

1 a :the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God

accused of blasphemy

b :the act of claiming the attributes of a deity

for a mere man to suggest that he was … divine could only be viewed … as blasphemy
—John Bright †1889

2 :irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable

See blasphemy defined for English-language learners

See blasphemy defined for kids

Examples of blasphemy in a Sentence

She was condemned by the church for uttering blasphemies.
in the 17th century the Quakers were persecuted for beliefs and practices that older churches regarded as blasphemies

Recent Examples of blasphemy from the Web

Such proposals, however, inevitably bring hand-wringing and cries of blasphemy from traditionalists.

— jacob feldman, SI.com, "Wicket Cool: What the reimagining of cricket can teach us about updating American sports," 18 July 2017
Others' families said right-wing and Islamist parties had filed blasphemy accusations against them to punish them for critical writings.

— reuters, Fortune, "Facebook Meets With Pakistani Officials Over Blasphemy Death Sentence," 7 July 2017
Ketchup, though blasphemy to some, is obviously a traditional option.

— paula forbes, GQ, "Fifty-Eight Ideas for Hot Dog Toppings," 30 June 2017
Nothing in this nation could possibly be better, and the very suggestion that something might be better is utter blasphemy.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Birmingham, Alabama," 30 June 2017
Everyone had to attend the daily justice sessions, in which the commanders meted out brutal forms of punishment for various infractions, from theft and blasphemy to adultery and insubordination.

— TIME.com, "Boko Haram’s Other Victims," 27 June 2017
Nearly 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) away in Jakarta, his ally Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was spending his first full day in prison on blasphemy charges -- a case that also came as a blow to Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi.

— karlis salna, Bloomberg.com, "On Dirt Bike in Indonesia Jungle, Jokowi Reboots Presidency," 22 June 2017
Blasphemy is a highly sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where insulting the Prophet Mohammad is a capital crime for which dozens are sitting on death row.

— NBC News, "Man Gets Death Penalty in Pakistan for Blaspheming on Facebook," 11 June 2017
Police say the lynching of Khan falsely accused of blasphemy was organized a month ahead of time by other students.

— Washington Post, "Pakistani police say lynching organized by student’s enemies," 4 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blasphemy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The origins of blasphemy

Blasphemy came into the English language in the 13th century, and for the first several hundred years of its life had but a single meaning, “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.” By the early 17th century it began to be applied figuratively to irreverence for things held in great respect that were not necessarily divine in nature, as in the phrase, “a blasphemy against friendship.”

Blasphemy shares a root with blame; both words may be traced to the Greek blasphēmein (“to speak ill of, blaspheme"). Despite the fact that these words are connected, they have diverged sufficiently over the centuries that the meanings are now quite distinct.

Origin and Etymology of blasphemy

see blaspheme

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First Known Use: 13th century

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blasphemy Synonyms

Synonyms

defilement, desecration, impiety, irreverence, profanation, sacrilege

Antonyms

adoration, glorification, worship

Related Words

cursing, profanity, swearing; affront, insult; violation; contamination, corruption, debasement, pollution; sin, trespass

Near Antonyms

consecration, purification, sanctification; reverence, veneration

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

BLASPHEMY Defined for English Language Learners

blasphemy

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noun

Definition of blasphemy for English Language Learners

: great disrespect shown to God or to something holy
: something said or done that is disrespectful to God or to something holy

Law Dictionary

blasphemy

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noun blas·phe·my \ ˈblas-fə-mē \

legal Definition of blasphemy

plural blasphemies

:the crime of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or a religion and its doctrines and writings and especially God as perceived by Christianity and Christian doctrines and writings

Note: In many states, blasphemy statutes have been repealed as contrary to the First Amendment.