impiety
Americannoun
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lack of piety; lack of reverence for God or sacred things; irreverence.
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lack of dutifulness or respect.
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an impious act, practice, etc.
noun
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lack of reverence or proper respect for a god
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any lack of proper respect
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an impious act
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impiety
1300–50; Middle English impietie < Latin impietās, equivalent to impi ( us ) impious + -etās, variant, after vowels, of -itās -ity
Explanation
Impiety is a disrespect for the sacred. For example, visitors are advised not to wear shorts or tank tops when touring certain churches and cathedrals in Europe, because doing so is viewed as impiety by those who worship there. English offers many options to describe disrespect. Impudence, insolence, sass, and irreverence are a few choices. Impiety sets itself apart from these in that it describes a lack of respect for a deity, like a god or God, or for worship itself. Piety is devotion or reverence, so impiety is a lack of devotion or reverence — such as making fun of other people's religious beliefs.
Vocabulary lists containing impiety
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Impiety speaks despair; Religion the virtue of serving as things of the furrowy ground, Debtors for breath while breath with our fellows in service we share.
From Poems — Volume 3 by Meredith, George
Impiety seems to them an indiscretion; they consider religion as the cement of public order.
From The Ancient Regime by Durand, John
I don't speak as to their Irreligion and Impiety, or their Incapacity of maintaining what they loudly assert; for such there are many among Rakes and Gamesters.
From A Letter to Dion by Viner, Jacob
Impiety?" he burst out upon the unlucky magistrates; "penalty of death! senate! what senate?
From Roman life in the days of Cicero by Church, Alfred John
Obscenity and Impiety have always been repressed in my company.'
From Boswell's Life of Johnson Abridged and edited, with an introduction by Charles Grosvenor Osgood by Osgood, Charles Grosvenor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
