To save this word, you'll need to log in.
sac·ri·le·gious | \ ˌsa-krə-ˈli-jəs 
also -ˈlē- \
also -ˈlē- \Definition of sacrilegious
: committing or characterized by sacrilege : having or showing a lack of proper respect for a sacred person, place, or object
sacrilegious acts It is difficult for religiously committed persons to acknowledge that their sacred texts are prone to sacrilegious uses.— Mary C. Boys —often used in an exaggerated way in contexts unrelated to religionIt would be sacrilegious to cut down such beautiful trees.Chilling your red wines may seem sacrilegious to some, and downright odd to others.— Tess Rose Lampert
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on sacrilegious
What made you want to look up sacrilegious? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Intact Latin Quiz
- What did focus mean in Latin?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Intact Latin Quiz
What did each of these words mean to ancient Romans?
Take the quiz - The Eponym Quiz
Do you know these words that come from names?
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share sacrilegious
Time Traveler for sacrilegious
The first known use of sacrilegious was in 1582
See more words from the same year