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sacrilege

noun

ˈsa-krə-lij How to pronounce sacrilege (audio)
Definition of sacrilegenext
as in blasphemy
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things spitting on the temple floor would be a great sacrilege

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sacrilege But by then, religious and political leaders from around the world condemned the image, some calling it a sacrilege. — Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026 In other words, there’s a chance that Jenner could reach free agency and sign with another club, an idea that would have seemed near sacrilege not long ago. — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026 At many Jewish institutions, rejecting Zionism is indeed regarded as a form of sacrilege. — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 That’s the ultimate Hollywood sacrilege. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sacrilege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sacrilege
  1. blasphemy
  2. desecration
  3. violation
  4. cursing
  5. profanation
  6. impiety
  7. corruption
Noun
  • That might have sounded like blasphemy just half a decade ago, but college football is always evolving, and Swinney is a man stuck in time.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Politicians and preachers denounced them for blasphemy, perversion, and their loud support for civil rights.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of blasphemy
Noun
  • When Debbie, Susan, and Thom come over for a double-date pizza night, only Bret is concerned about the spate of recent home invasions, the missing pets, and the desecration of the griffin mascot.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • He was convicted of offenses including desecration of national symbols, contempt and public ​disorder, and spent five years in the Guanajay prison near Havana.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Definition of desecration
Noun
  • Under Arkansas law, anyone selling alcohol on a Sunday without a permit can be found guilty of a violation fined up to $250.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Both men were denied parole last year, in part because of their use of contraband cellphones and other violations of prison rules.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Hoodoo was not only considered a means of assisting people; it has also been associated with hexing or cursing and, in the 18th and 19th centuries, with poisoning.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Danhausen transcended into the mainstream zeitgeist after cursing and un-cursing the New York Knicks en route to the team winning the NBA Championship after a 52-year drought.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of cursing
Noun
  • Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.
    — Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 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
Definition of profanation
Noun
  • 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
Definition of impiety
Noun
  • At the center of the story is Rashid, a prison guard who has been suspended from his job after being accused of corruption.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Described as a combination of Filipino genre cinema with American indie grit, the film explores themes including class, power and corruption.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of corruption

Browse Nearby Words

sacrificing
sacrilege
sacrileges
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Cite this Entry

“Sacrilege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sacrilege. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sacrilege

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sacrilege

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