blasphemy

noun blas·phe·my \ ˈblas-fə-mē \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

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

In late 2016 Islamists demonstrated in huge numbers against his former deputy in Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian ethnic-Chinese known as Ahok, who was unfairly accused and later convicted of blasphemy.

— The Economist, "Indonesia’s president is neither a grubby politician nor a diehard reformer," 10 May 2018
Seemingly unafraid of blasphemy, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano teased us with naughty nuns in latex in 1990 and 2000, respectively.

— Vogue, "32 Collections Touched by Divine Inspiration," 2 May 2018
Last year, hard-liners succeeded in a campaign to imprison the Christian governor of Jakarta for blasphemy.

— anita rachman, WSJ, "Indonesia’s Islamic Floggings Will Move Indoors Where Kids Can’t See," 12 Apr. 2018
Once, while representing a Christian boy sentenced to death for blasphemy against Islam, she was attacked by a mob outside the courthouse.

— Washington Post, "Asma Jehangir, Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist, dies at 66," 11 Feb. 2018
She was recently accused of blasphemy for reciting a poem that implies that traditional Indonesian hairstyles and songs are preferable to headscarves and the call to prayer.

— The Economist, "How religion shapes elections in Indonesia," 12 Apr. 2018
Tehreek-e-Laibak was born out of a protest movement glorifying Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard of the governor of Punjab province who shot dead his boss in 2011 over his call to reform strict blasphemy laws.

— jeff s. forward, Houston Chronicle, "Muddy Trails run may disrupt traffic in Creekside," 5 Apr. 2018
As far as Aunt Anna was concerned, using any sort of mechanical device to prepare a meal was blasphemy.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "Ravioli machine is magical yet blasphemous," 25 Mar. 2018
Kate was made of sterner stuff, and her blasphemy could not be approached in vileness or variety.

— eliza mcgraw, Smithsonian, "The Tragedy of Cattle Kate," 12 Mar. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

blasphemy Synonyms

Other Christian Religious Terms

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

BLASPHEMY Defined for English Language Learners

blasphemy

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

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.