irreverence
Americannoun
-
the quality of being irreverent; lack of reverence or respect.
-
an irreverent act or statement.
-
the condition of not being reverenced, venerated, respected, etc.
noun
-
lack of due respect or veneration; disrespect
-
a disrespectful remark or act
Etymology
Origin of irreverence
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word irreverentia. See ir- 2, reverence
Explanation
Look into the word irreverence and you'll see the verb revere, which means to admire, worship, or look up to. Irreverence, then, is the opposite: viewing something as not worthy of admiration. The thing about irreverence is that you display it towards things that normally would call for reverence, such as a leader, a teacher, or a superstar. It's useless to show irreverence towards, say, a stray dog or a friend who's failed their driver's test the second time. Reserve irreverence for situations in which the object of your irreverence would normally inspire reverence. Addressing the president as "Dude" is the height of irreverence.
Vocabulary lists containing irreverence
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Mark Borkowski, a public relations expert, says the blend of Streeting’s po-faced seriousness and Rayner’s irreverence is helping to catch people’s attention, with Burnham acting as a middle ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Martin McDonagh’s melancholy irreverence plays well with Oscar voters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
For Beeching, the reaction to that picture says something about "how comfortable we are mixing authority with irreverence".
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
Not far away, at Pepa Bar a Vins, irreverence was the raison d’être.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025
Fernanda was so indignant with such irreverence that she had the wreath thrown onto the trash heap.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
