profane

verb

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pro·fane | \ prō-ˈfān

, prə- \

profaned; profaning

Definition of profane

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt : desecrate

2 : to debase by a wrong, unworthy, or vulgar use

profane

adjective

Definition of profane (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : not concerned with religion or religious purposes : secular

2 : not holy because unconsecrated, impure, or defiled : unsanctified

3a : serving to debase or defile what is holy : irreverent

b : obscene, vulgar

4a : not being among the initiated

b : not possessing esoteric or expert knowledge

Other Words from profane Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About profane

Other Words from profane

Verb

profaner noun

Adjective

profanely adverb

profaneness \ prō-ˈfān-nəs

, prə- \ noun

Examples of profane in a Sentence

Verb the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies Adjective it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93. — Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic. — Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020 The following day, Pope Francis spoke out against violence toward women during his New Year’s Day homily in St. Peter’s Basilica, equating it to profaning God, according to the Associated Press. — Josiah Bates, Time, 1 Jan. 2020 By targeting a house of worship, rather than a private home or business, the attacker has committed a powerful symbolic transgression: profaning a space that is both sacred and communal. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, 27 Oct. 2018 There’s a way certain things—death, extreme poverty—are deemed so tragic that they cannot be profaned, they can only be spoken of reverently or seriously. — Joe Fassler, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective By the testimony of his own staff, Trump was certainly devious, profane, suspicious, disloyal, unconcerned about morality, principles or the high ideals of public office. — Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 Four Kent State basketball players have been suspended after one of them posted a profane social media video directed at Akron, their opponent in Saturday night’s MAC championship game. — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 12 Mar. 2022 Rounding out the list of top 5 most profane actors on the list were Adam Sandler with 295, and Al Pacino with 255. — Dan Heching, PEOPLE.com, 11 Mar. 2022 Officials might determine, for instance, that the book is too profane or vulgar. — Heather Hollingsworth, chicagotribune.com, 1 Mar. 2022 Their hilariously profane coach, played by David M. Edelstein, seems unlikely to come through but does. — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2021 The company devised labels and beer names that made profane reference to feces and female dogs. — Alex Traub, New York Times, 20 June 2021 And he was briefly suspended at Tennessee for a profane social-media tirade against the coaching staff. — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, 9 Jan. 2021 The group’s furious and profane lyrics were bolstered by Dre’s ear for the bounce of funk. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2021 See More

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