sacrilege
An act of treating a holy place or object with disrespect; violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred.
Can be used in a strict religious sense (stealing from a temple) or in a secular, figurative sense (violating a highly respected tradition or rule).
Word relationships
- desecration: Desecration is the physical damage or defilement of a sacred place, while sacrilege is a broader term that includes the misuse, theft, or disrespectful treatment of sacred things.
- profanity: Language or behavior that shows disrespect for holy things, whereas sacrilege usually involves a specific action or violation.
- consecration: The act of making something sacred, the exact opposite of violating it.
- reverence: Deep respect and honor for the sacred.
Commonly confused with
- blasphemy: Blasphemy is specifically disrespectful speech or writing about God or sacred things, while sacrilege is the physical violation or misuse of sacred objects or places.
Word family
- sacrilegious (adjective): Involving or committing sacrilege.
- sacrilegiously (adverb): In a sacrilegious manner.
Collocations
- commit sacrilege
- absolute sacrilege
- culinary sacrilege
- act of sacrilege
Example sentences
- "Stealing the golden chalice from the altar was considered a terrible sacrilege by the villagers." Describing a historical theft from a church.
- "To many purists, putting ketchup on a high-quality steak is nothing short of culinary sacrilege." A secular, lighthearted use about violating a food tradition.
Memory hook
Think of sacrilege as taking a sack (sacr-) of jewels and running (leg-it) out of a sacred temple. Stealing or violating the sacred.
When not to use
Do not use for minor mistakes or simple acts of rudeness that do not violate something considered deeply sacred or highly respected.
Fun facts
- Because of its spelling, sacrilege is one of the most commonly misspelled words in English; people often write 'sacreligious' thinking it is directly related to 'religious,' but it actually comes from 'sacr-' and 'legere'!
Related words
Explore more words
blasphemy, sacrosanct, sacred, profane, desacralize, hallowed
Also appears in
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