sacrilege
Americannoun
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the violation or profanation of anything sacred or held sacred.
-
an instance of this.
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the stealing of anything consecrated to the service of God.
noun
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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
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the act or an instance of taking anything sacred for secular use
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing sacrilege
Things Fall Apart
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
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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.
He was a diminutive guitar deity who could only have descended in America, but calling him something so plain and mortal as “American” still feels close to sacrilege.
From Salon • Apr. 21, 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
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 • Apr. 29, 2024
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
In the early days there had been no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny to decorate the sacrilege, piety, or greedy whimsy of Milagro’s various religious seasons.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
