Sacrilege
/ˈsækrəlɪdʒ/noun
The act of disrespecting something holy or highly respected.
They considered it a sacrilege to build a casino near the sacred burial ground.
Often appears as...
- commit a sacrilege
- act of sacrilege
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Sacred Respect
Use 'sacrilege' to express a severe lack of respect towards what is sacred to a culture or religion.
Spray painting graffiti on the church wall was seen as sacrilege.
Pro Tip 2/3Figurative Use
'Sacrilege' can be used figuratively to refer to disrespecting something highly valued, not only religious.
In our family, not following Grandma's pie recipe is considered sacrilege.
Pro Tip 3/3Strong Emotions
The word 'sacrilege' often carries a strong emotional weight and indicates deep offense.
Fans cried out sacrilege when the ancient stadium was demolished.
Compare with
blasphemydesecrateirreverenceprofanityviolate
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