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

Example Sentences

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

But there has been fierce resistance along the way, particularly from some fellow surfers who think the whole idea of turning an intimate, almost zen-like communion with nature into a competition is sacrilege.

From Los Angeles Times

“And climbers from the two other disciplines had to train for speed, which they saw as sacrilege. But this was the only way to get into the Olympics.”

From BBC

For some old-school purists, eliminating the long walk borders on sacrilege, said Will Cockrell, a journalist whose recent book, “Everest, Inc.,” explores the evolution of commercial guiding on the mountain.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s sacrilege!” jokes the movie’s director and co-writer Paul King with a laugh.

From Los Angeles Times