defilement

[ dih-fahyl-muhnt ]

noun

1. the act of making something foul, dirty, or unclean:

   Humankind's destruction and defilement of the natural environment is seriously endangering the continuation of life on this planet.

2. the violation of something considered sacred, or the act of making something ceremonially impure; desecration:

   I want to express our profound disgust and contempt for the recent defilement of the mosque by graffiti.

3. the act of violating a person’s chastity:

   The Lagos state government has approved the use of a toll-free emergency line to report cases of rape, defilement, child abuse, and other sexual assaults.

Other Words From

• non·de·file·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of defilement¹

defile ¹( def ) + -ment ( def )

Example Sentences

In days of yore, blood on screen was to be feared: think the trickle of blood signaling defilement in old vampire movies.

From The Daily Beast

They feel there is defilement even in the shadow of the scaffold.'

From Project Gutenberg

It is this which withers up sin to the root, and enables us to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit.

From Project Gutenberg

Cleanness, however, seems to come under temperance, for this it is which precludes bodily defilement.

From Project Gutenberg

He must not be sullied by a spot of moral defilement (for purity only can face God or love men).

From Project Gutenberg

Even the earthly shrine had not itself contracted defilement.

From Project Gutenberg