Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

profanation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /pɹɒfəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ (UK)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle French prophanation, profanation, and its source, Late Latin profanatio, from the participle stem of Latin profānō. By surface analysis, profane + -ation.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The act of profaning; desecration, blasphemous behaviour, defilement.
    • those which mocke and condemne it, intend neverthelesse to wrong this noble vertue; but onely to condemne the abuse and profanation of so sacred a title[…]. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 37, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
    • […] but there is a time and a season for all things, and we look upon such attempts as that before us, with a certain portion of respect for a good intention, but as a lamentable want of judgment and good taste, not to speak of a familiarity with the phraseology of Scripture, little short of profanation. 1826-06, The Gentleman's Magazine, page 528

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
profanations Number=Plur lexicographic

Relateds

profane

Synonyms

profanation · blasphemy · impurification · abasement · pollution · blasphemy · perversion · perversion · sacrilege · depravation · desecration · corruption · adulteration · sacrilege · debasement · depravement · debauchment · profanation · defilement