1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters
it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties
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2
as in secular
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually
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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
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1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories
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2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.
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