profanation

American  

[prof-uh-ney-shuhn] / ˌprɒf əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of profaning; desecration; defilement; debasement.

   Synonyms:

   blasphemy, sacrilege

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Etymology

Origin of profanation

First recorded in 1545–55; from Late Latin profānātiōn- (stem of profānātiō “desecration”), equivalent to Latin profānāt(us) (past participle of profānāre “to desecrate”) + -iōn- noun suffix; replacing prophanation, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin prophānātiō, for Late Latin profānātiō, as above; profane, -ion

Example Sentences

Police officers were sent to the Protestant Cemetery on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion to investigate the profanation.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2023

“This is a profanation, an imitation of shooting, an imitation of exercises, an imitation of a formation,” Leshkov raged.

From Washington Post • Nov. 20, 2022

Since its founding in the mid-1970s, the Wooster Group has been performing acts of blessed profanation on sacred texts, including Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” Eugene O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones” and Racine’s “Phèdre.”

From New York Times • Apr. 7, 2015

It's a similar story with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne's tale of children and death camps which was described by one leading rabbi as "not just a lie … but a profanation".

From The Guardian • Aug. 13, 2010

“I suppose it would be profanation to eat anything in this spick-and-span bower, so as I’m tremendously hungry, I propose an adjournment,” he added presently.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott