Trend Watch

Blasphemy

After a Saudi Court sentenced a man to 500 lashes for ...

When:

Lookups spiked on December 7, 2011.

Why:

A Saudi Arabian court sentenced a man to a year in prison and 500 lashes for the crime of "blasphemy."

Blasphemy means "great disrespect shown to God or to something holy," and comes from a Greek word that means "evil-speaking."

The Australian citizen was making a religious pilgrimmage to Mecca when he was arrested for allegedly insulting the companions of the Prophet Muhammed.

Photo credit: hajj2006 / flickr


Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!