Dictionary

profane en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /pɹəˈfeɪn/ (UK)
• /pɹəˈfeɪn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹoʊˈfeɪn/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English prophane, from Middle French profane, prophaine, prophane and its etymon Classical Latin profānus (“not religious, unclean”) (also Late Latin prophānus), from pro- (“instead of”) + fānum (“temple”).

Meanings

1. Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.
   • Nothing is profane that serveth to the use of holy things. 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5):
2. Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular.
   • The sacred is the emotional force which connects the part to the whole; the profane or the secular is that which has been broken off from, or has fallen off, its emotional bond to the universe. 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 102:
   • A sonnet in praise of Rome was accepted as the effusion of genius and gratitude; and after the whole procession had visited the Vatican, the profane wreath was suspended before the shrine. 1781, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC:
   • profane authors
3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or scorn; blasphemous, impious.
4. Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain.
   • a profane person, word, oath, or tongue
   • the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 1:9:
   • When asked to explain why he became a landlord, he told the Archbishop of York it was so he could close the pub on Sundays, and suppress the profane language and singing that came through the bar windows. 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 102:

Forms

Antonyms

sacrosanct · orthodox · religious · spiritual · sacred · holy · faithful

Deriveds

profaneness · profanely · profanic · unprofane · nonprofane · semiprofane

Synonyms

secular · nonreligious · temporal · temporal · mundane · mishallowed · laicistic · Synonyms: vulgar (obscene) · mishallowed · uncouth · irreligious · civil · unhallowed · unsanctified · wicked · worldly · mean · impious · ignoble · common · secular · debased · earthly · godless · laicist · defiled · inappropriate · unhallowed · unhallowed · worldly · profane · ungodly · unconsecrated · lewd · offensive · profane · impious · obscene · irreverent · unsanctified · unholy · irreligious · areligious · impure · unholy

Translations (80)

ru мирско́й (Not sacred or holy) · el βέβηλος (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · be блюзне́рскі (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · be непрысве́чаны (Not sacred or holy) · la profānus (Not sacred or holy) · bg ми́рски (Not sacred or holy) · pl bluźnierczy (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · bg богоху́лен (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · de weltlich (Not sacred or holy) · cs bezbožný (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · fr sacrilège (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · fr profane (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · ru богоху́льный (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · fr impur (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · pt profano (Not sacred or holy) · it secolare (Not sacred or holy) · ru непосвящённый (Not sacred or holy) · cs světský (Not sacred or holy) · fi epäpyhä (Not sacred or holy) · it blasfemo (Not sacred or holy) · ga diamhaslach (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · it sconsacrato (Not sacred or holy) · fi epäkunnioittava (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · uk блюзні́рський (taking the name of God in vain) · ja 汚らわしい (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · fi rienaava (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · it profano (Not sacred or holy) · fi profaani (Not sacred or holy) · uk мирськи́й (Not sacred or holy) · it sacrilego (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · uk богоху́льний (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · uk блюзні́рський (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · uk богоху́льний (taking the name of God in vain) · es profano (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · ja 卑賎な (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · uk сві́тський (Not sacred or holy) · el ανίερος (Not sacred or holy) · el ανόσιος (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · ru нечести́вый (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · uk непосвя́чений (Not sacred or holy) · fr profane (Not sacred or holy) · be богазневажа́льны (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · ru богоху́льный (taking the name of God in vain) · it profano (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · bg нечести́в (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · es sacrílego (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · fi profaani (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · be богазневажа́льны (taking the name of God in vain) · ja 世俗の (Not sacred or holy) · mk про́фан (Not sacred or holy) · mk све́товен (Not sacred or holy) · pl bluźnierczy (taking the name of God in vain) · el ανόσιος (Not sacred or holy) · fi epäpyhä (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · be све́цкі (Not sacred or holy) · el ανίερος (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · be блюзне́рскі (taking the name of God in vain) · it empio (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · fr sale (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · es blasfemo (taking the name of God in vain) · ca profà (Not sacred or holy) · es profano (Not sacred or holy) · grc βέβηλος (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · oc profan (Not sacred or holy) · bg непосвете́н (Not sacred or holy) · uk богознева́жний (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · bg све́тски (Not sacred or holy) · la nefastus (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · el ιερόσυλος (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · grc βέβηλος (Not sacred or holy) · ru све́тский (Not sacred or holy) · bg богоху́лен (taking the name of God in vain) · uk нечести́вий (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · fi profaani (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · fi maallinen (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · fi maallinen (Not sacred or holy) · nl profaan (unclean; impure; polluted; unholy) · grc ἀσεβής (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity) · uk богознева́жний (taking the name of God in vain) · cs rouhavý (Treating sacred matters with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity)

profane en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /pɹəˈfeɪn/ (UK)
• /pɹəˈfeɪn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹoʊˈfeɪn/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English prophane, from Middle French profane, prophaine, prophane and its etymon Classical Latin profānus (“not religious, unclean”) (also Late Latin prophānus), from pro- (“instead of”) + fānum (“temple”).

Meanings

1. A person or thing that is profane.
   • The nuns were employed in religious duties established in honour of St Clare, and to which no profane was ever admitted. 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society, published 1985, page 244:
2. A person not a Mason.

Forms

profane en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /pɹəˈfeɪn/ (UK)
• /pɹəˈfeɪn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹoʊˈfeɪn/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English prophanen, from Middle French profaner, prophaner and its etymon Classical Latin profānō (also Late Latin prophāno), from profānus + -ō (suffix forming verbs).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To violate (something sacred); to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate
   • With one mind, their intent eyes all fastened upon the old man’s knife, as he carved the chief dish before him. I do not suppose that for the world they would have profaned that moment with the slightest observation, even upon so neutral a topic as the weather. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter XXXIV, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
   • to profane the Scriptures
   • One should not profane the name of God.
   • VVhen the vulgar ſort / Sit on their Ale-bench, vvith their cups and kannes, / Matters of ſtate be not their common talke, / Nor pure religion by their lips prophande. 1600, [Michael Drayton, Richard Hathwaye, Anthony Munday, Robert Wilson], The First Part of the True and Honorable Historie, of the Life of Sir John Old-castle, the Good Lord Cobham. […], London: […] [V[alentine] S[immes]] for Thomas Pauier, […], →OCLC:
2. (transitive) To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to debase; to abuse; to defile.

Forms

Antonyms

sanctify · consecrate (antonym(s) of)

Deriveds

profanable

Relateds

fan · profanate · fanatic · profanity · fane · profanation · profanatory

Synonyms

misuse (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · misapply (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · defile (violate something sacred) · demean (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · pervert (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · profanate · adulterate (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · degrade (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · abase (put to a wrong or unworthy use) · unhallow

Translations (16)

fi häpäistä (To put to a wrong or unworthy use) · gl profanar (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · fr profaner (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · it profanare (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · bg осквернявам (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · hy պղծել (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · ca profanar (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · fi häpäistä (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · es profanar (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · eo profani (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · el βεβηλώνω (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · ja 冒涜する (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · ja 汚す (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · grc βεβηλόω (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · el μιαίνω (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt) · ja 蔑む (To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt)