English Explanatory Dictionary

profane

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.
  2. Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular.
  3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or scorn; blasphemous, impious.
  4. Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain.
noun
  1. A person or thing that is profane.
  2. A person not a Mason.
verb
  1. To violate (something sacred); to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate
  2. To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to debase; to abuse; to defile.

Pronunciation

/pɹəˈfeɪn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-profane.wav

Word forms

profane profaner more profane profanest most profane prophane profanes profaning profaned

Etymology

From Middle French prophane, from Latin profānus (“not religious, unclean”), from pro- (“instead of”) + fānum (“temple”).

Synonyms

inappropriate obscene debased uncouth offensive ignoble mean lewd wicked defiled mishallowed unhallowed common impious impure profane unholy Synonyms: vulgar secular unsanctified irreligious temporal worldly ungodly godless areligious civil earthly laicist laicistic mundane nonreligious unconsecrated irreverent unhallow defile abase adulterate degrade demean misapply misuse pervert

Antonyms

faithful holy orthodox religious sacred sacrosanct spiritual consecrate sanctify

Related words

fan fanatic fane profanation profanatory profanity

Derived words

nonprofane profanely profaneness profanic semiprofane unprofane profanable
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