sacrilege

American  

[sak-ruh-lij] / ˈsæk rə lɪdʒ /

noun

1. the violation or profanation of anything sacred or held sacred.

2. an instance of this.

3. the stealing of anything consecrated to the service of God.

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sacrilege British  

/ ˈsækrɪlɪdʒ, ˌsækrɪˈliːdʒɪst /

noun

1. the misuse or desecration of anything regarded as sacred or as worthy of extreme respect

   to play Mozart's music on a kazoo is sacrilege

2. the act or an instance of taking anything sacred for secular use

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Other Word Forms

• sacrilegist noun

Etymology

Origin of sacrilege

1275–1325; Middle English < Old French < Latin sacrilegium, equivalent to sacri- (combining form of sacrum holy place) + leg ( ere ) to steal, literally, gather + -ium -ium

Explanation

If you show up to an animal rights rally with a bucket full of fried chicken for lunch, you may be accused of committing sacrilege. You are violating a belief held sacred, at least by some individuals. Sacrilege has its roots in the Latin sacr-, meaning "holy." Sacrilege was originally reserved for talking about blasphemous acts that disrespect, violate, or misuse holy traditions or objects. However, today the term sacrilege carries a broader, and lighter, meaning than its origins suggest. For example, it's usually considered sacrilege to root for the out-of-town team that's playing against your home team. Ancient users of this word might think our looser definition is sacrilege.

Example Sentences

“It would be a sacrilege merely to redecorate it — a word I hate. It must be restored, and that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship.”

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

That claim might seem like sacrilege to generations of basketball fans who watched golden eras of the NBA from Wilt/Russell to LeBron/Curry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

And while it may be sacrilege to call Isabella Rossellini and Hope Davis superfluous, as an anthropology professor and a flamboyant mother, respectively, they are.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2023

There was only a dot of cream cheese left, so I had to supplement it with butter — sacrilege to New Yorkers.

From Washington Times • Jul. 19, 2023

His servants shrank from the sacrilege when he ordered them to fell it; whereupon he seized an ax himself and attacked the mighty trunk around which the dryads used to hold their dances.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton