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
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
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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To Michael Hirsch, the desecration of hundreds of graves was a shanda, a shame, a ghoulish crime.—
Maria Cramer,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
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The killing and desecration of Laura continues resonating throughout the original show’s 30 episode run, even as Agent Cooper and the local police branch away from it and begin dealing with local corruption and assorted personal melodramas.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Arguments and accusations of blasphemy regarding teaching yoga sutras rather than Bible scripture are rife within the Black yoga community.—
Tamika Caston-Miller,
Outside Online,
26 Feb. 2025
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Throughout its engagement with the OIC, the special envoy has prioritized the protection of human rights, routinely championing the equal rights of religious minorities and opposing laws that criminalize blasphemy and apostasy.—
Arsalan Suleman,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Aug. 2017
Noun
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Poppy Alexander, a partner at Whistleblower Partners who represents whistleblowers reporting corporate FCPA violations, echoes this thinking.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The violations for each of the officers included standard of conduct violations, death investigation procedure violations and report preparation violations.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
3 Mar. 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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Clouzot supplied that insight in strong visual terms: Fresnay’s conflicting impiety and righteous anger and so much dissatisfaction and panic among the townsfolk.—
Armond White,
National Review,
20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The unaccountable bureaucracy and bloated government that find a home there, and the public and private corruption that go along with them, face serious scrutiny and genuine antagonism for the first time in a while.—
Jack Butler,
National Review,
2 Mar. 2025
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Supporters hope the ex-governor can find success as a moderate with a tough-guy reputation, big name recognition and an ability to bring stability to city government amid Adams’ federal corruption indictment and Trump’s threats to the city.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood, Robin Hood is a happy iconoclast, meting out his form of social and political justice with the cheerful irreverence and deft strokes of Errol Flynn, cinema’s premier swashbuckler.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
20 Nov. 2024
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There’s a naturally compelling story to be told: An untested but confident producer (Gabriel LaBelle stars as the young Lorne Michaels) feeling the pressure of a first show built on irreverence, at odds with a stodgy network accustomed to Johnny Carson’s after-hours royalty.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Profanation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profanation. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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