impiety
Americannoun
plural
impieties-
lack of piety; lack of reverence for God or sacred things; irreverence.
-
lack of dutifulness or respect.
-
an impious act, practice, etc.
noun
-
lack of reverence or proper respect for a god
-
any lack of proper respect
-
an impious act
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.
Mr. Stuttard, an accomplished theater director, departs from this scholarship by staging these events as a Greek tragedy, where the hero—in this case, Pericles’ Athens itself—is brought low by divine forces offended by impiety.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Just as the campaign began in 415 BCE, Alcibiades’s political enemies in Athens accused him of impiety and treason, and he fled to Sparta to avoid a trial.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
She was known for making provocative statements in class, such as dismissing as a political stunt Socrates’ famous apology at his trial for impiety and corruption.
From Washington Post • Aug. 29, 2021
So, he’d ask a person who was on their way to court to accuse someone of impiety exactly what they meant by “piety”.
From Scientific American • Sep. 19, 2017
Anaxagoras, Protagoras, and of course Socrates were hauled up on charges of heresy and impiety.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
