1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters
it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in secular
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of profane
Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
By putting religious and profane art together—a picture of Christ on one wall and Apollo on another, both equalized in their prettiness—Raphael triggered centuries of decadence.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021
The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic.
—Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for profane
Adjective
Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), who has endorsed Porter, points to the late beloved, oft-profane legislative leader John Burton of San Francisco as an example of a double standard.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
By putting religious and profane art together—a picture of Christ on one wall and Apollo on another, both equalized in their prettiness—Raphael triggered centuries of decadence.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93.
—Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021
The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic.
—Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for profane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
Adjective
-
These areas included the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, parietal and temporal cortices, and the amygdala, which are involved in pain processing, emotional regulation, and cognition.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
2 June 2026
-
His head sustained a small temporal fracture and a small brain bleed.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Many in the insular ultra-Orthodox community fear that military service would expose young people to secular influences.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
On trips to Spain this month and France in September, Leo will find thousands of young people like her in these traditionally Catholic but now staunchly secular countries, where historic churches are abundant and Mass attendance is sparse.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
It was seized by the post office (as Rosset had expected) and duly declared obscene by the postmaster of the city of New York, a man named Robert Christenberry.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Who says a man can’t appreciate the gleaming, obscene form of an Aston Martin supercar or the growl of its overpriced engine?—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
Systems must remain safe not only when components fail naturally, but when data is corrupted, communication is interrupted or execution is violated.—
John Wall,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Agency chair says data has been misused Early indications of the EEOC's plan to stop gathering data came a year ago.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
1 June 2026
-
That is the standard set for bringing weapons and cellphones into a secure area, safeguarding department property, monitoring the radio, misusing department letterhead, badges or insignia, secondary employment violations, and recommending bondsmen or attorneys to inmates.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The complaint alleges the defendants failed to manufacture, supply and serve food safe for human consumption and violated federal food safety laws and USDA performance standards governing ground beef.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Several speakers challenged Polis' argument that the bill could violate free speech protections.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
At the time, detectives collected and preserved physical evidence but were unable to narrow down a suspect.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
As for agentic commerce, in Jain’s framing, only Google, Anthropic, and Bilt have the breadth of demand-side merchant integrations to power AI commerce in the physical world.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
But there has been a recent rise in secular congregations that explicitly mimic religious organizations and rituals to celebrate atheistic worldviews.—
Jacqui Frost,
The Conversation,
11 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
