as in sacrilege
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
the First Book of the Maccabees tells of the profanation of the temple of Jerusalem by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 b.c.
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Recent Examples of profanation
Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.
—John Edgar Wideman, The New Yorker, 8 July 2021
The first assault is on the Nile itself, which is turned to blood, thereby ruining both agriculture and aquaculture in one swoop, a profanation with religious consequences.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 28 Nov. 2019
His family has argued that the exhumation would amount to profanation of a burial site, and said the only alternative resting place for Franco should be inside the crypt of the Madrid cathedral, a suggestion that the government found unacceptable.
—Raphael Minder, New York Times, 4 June 2019
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.
—John Edgar Wideman, The New Yorker, 8 July 2021
The first assault is on the Nile itself, which is turned to blood, thereby ruining both agriculture and aquaculture in one swoop, a profanation with religious consequences.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 28 Nov. 2019
His family has argued that the exhumation would amount to profanation of a burial site, and said the only alternative resting place for Franco should be inside the crypt of the Madrid cathedral, a suggestion that the government found unacceptable.
—Raphael Minder, New York Times, 4 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profanation
Noun
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Such a transformation would represent an irrevocable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city’s rich history but also to the cultural legacy for the future generations.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2025
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For many liberals and radicals, beginning with Lord Byron, Elgin was a vandal who had committed sacrilege.—
Ralph Leonard,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Yet Jesus becomes angered by the desecration of the temple and begins tipping over the merchants' tables in the holy place while wielding a righteous whip.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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In the first of thirteen live, three-hour shows (with Nelle sitting in the studio audience), the thirty-five-year-old Reagan, accompanied by four Black actors, dramatically reenacted Klan cross-burnings, beatings and shootings, and the desecration of synagogues.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Pakistan's Christians, barely 2 percent of the population, face lynchings over false accusations of blasphemy, with 2024 seeing churches burned and families displaced.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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For this theme to have been chosen only after the tragic passing of pioneering fashion icon, long-time Vogue editor-at-large, and unmistakable dandy, Andre Leon Talley, is a sort of blasphemy.—
Akilah Sailers,
Essence,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The complaint at the crux of Lopez v. Apple is a violation of privacy.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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That's a seeming violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Noyb alleged.—
Ashley Belanger – May 14,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2025
Noun
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By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.—
Merve Emre,
The New Yorker,
16 Dec. 2024
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By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.—
Merve Emre,
The New Yorker,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Boston City Council will take up a resolution this week that calls for disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s removal from the body in the wake of her guilty plea to two federal corruption charges tied to a City Hall kickback scheme.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
13 May 2025
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However, rumors swirled about his luxury lifestyle and possible corruption and eventually led to federal charges in 2007.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2025
Noun
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His latest collection reflected his distinct theatricality, sensuality, and artistic irreverence, in addition to staying true to the house’s rebellious DNA.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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One of the great things about standup comedy is the freedom and the irreverence of it.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profanation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profanation. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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