defilements

noun

plural of defilement
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

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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
  1. violations
  2. contaminants
  3. pollutants
  4. contaminations
  5. impurities
Noun
  • Miami Beach code compliance officers also checked on the polling station at least six times for possible loud music and signage code adherence pertaining to Basabe, although no violations were issued, records show.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • On Tuesday, the Department of Justice will be sending 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, including Minnesota, to report any voting violations.
    — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of violations
Noun
  • For those concerned about product quality, Todd says to look for third-party certification labeling to check manufacturing, label contents, and contaminants.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The idea is that high-intensity fires such as the 2025 Eaton fire and Palisades fire often sterilize soil, killing all its beneficial organisms and fungi, and leave behind various contaminants.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of contaminants
Noun
  • And when methane leaks from oil and gas operations, toxic air pollutants such as benzene are released along with it, which has been linked to various forms of cancer.
    — Elizabeth Bechard, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Other studies have uncovered environmental exposure to hormone-mimicking pollutants that could skew the odds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of pollutants
Noun
  • In one of the heaviest contaminations of TCE and PCE documented, thousands of soldiers and their families were exposed to the solvents at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987.
    — WUFT News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
  • And the Food and Drug Administration is also investigating contaminations that may be tied to a different outbreak.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of contaminations
Noun
  • Purification removes unwanted impurities, while dehydration reduces moisture content.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Ice•ology trays use a slow-freezing process designed to separate impurities and air bubbles from the ice, creating crystal-clear cubes that elevate cocktails, mocktails and everyday beverages.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of impurities
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.

Browse Nearby Words

defilement
defilements
defiles
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Cite this Entry

“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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