1
as in corruptions
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
for two centuries the Christian monasteries in England suffered defilements at the hands of Viking invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contaminants
something that is or that makes impure
souvenir shops, observation towers, and other tacky defilements on Civil War battlefields that should be considered hallowed ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilements
Noun
-
The money was part of a $9 billion investment to help communities manage water contaminated with PFAS and other contaminants.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026 -
The podcast discussed a number of discredited ideas, including that mRNA vaccines may contain harmful DNA contaminants.—
Matthew Perrone,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Research published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2022 also found HEPA filtration effective at reducing indoor air pollutants.—
Ryan Brennan
May 18,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
-
The update reflects the state’s evolving understanding of its most dangerous pollutants, which has shifted over the decades from visible pollutants, such as smog, to more invisible ones that cause cancer, heart disease and other health harms.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, 24 eateries, including a local cafe, received citations for health code violations such as brown residue in the ice machine, a lack of quaternary ammonia test strips and improperly cooled food.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 15,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Commercial and industrial customers face $500 penalties for a first offense and $1,500 for additional violations.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Surfaces are not simple and can exhibit all sorts of weird properties due to missing atoms, crystalline boundaries, and impurities from fabrication techniques.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
-
Those impurities may have masked the true adsorption capabilities of the materials.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
