defilement

American  

[dih-fahyl-muhnt] / dɪˈfaɪl mənt /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• nondefilement noun

Etymology

Origin of defilement

defile ¹ ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

It was and is a project of displacement and defilement meant to reverse progress and shame the proponents of that progress.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2024

Without fanfare or warning, P&D no longer looks like a bizarre defilement, breach or disruption of anything at all.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2019

In 1985, he condemned as “a defilement of history” a visit by President Ronald Reagan and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl to a military cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, where some SS soldiers had been buried.

From Washington Post • Apr. 13, 2015

Hazzauna’s shame was her deepest secret and yet she felt the defilement left her oddly transparent.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2012

It was simple and, since both Helmholtz and the Savage were dreadfully pained by the shattering and defilement of a favourite poetic crystal, extremely effective.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley