sacrilegious
[ sak-ruh-lij-uh s, -lee-juh s ]
/ ˌsæk rəˈlɪdʒ əs, -ˈli dʒəs /
adjective
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pronunciation note for sacrilegious
The almost universal pronunciation of sacrilegious as [sak-ruh-lij-uh s] /ˌsæk rəˈlɪdʒ əs/ is the result of folk etymology—modifying the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word so that it conforms to a more familiar one—in this case religious. Etymologically, sacrilegious has no direct relationship to religious. The historical pronunciation [sak-ruh-lee-juh s] /ˌsæk rəˈli dʒəs/ occurs in American English, though not in British English, and criticism of the newer pronunciation has almost disappeared.
OTHER WORDS FROM sacrilegious
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sacrilegious
irreligious sacrilegious unreligiousreligious sacrilegious sacrosanctWords nearby sacrilegious
sacrifice fly, sacrifice paddock, sacrificial, sacrificial anode, sacrilege, sacrilegious, sacring, sacring bell, sacristan, sacristy, sacro-
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for sacrilegious
British Dictionary definitions for sacrilegious
sacrilegious
/ (ˌsækrɪˈlɪdʒəs) /
adjective
of, relating to, or involving sacrilege; impious
guilty of sacrilege
Derived forms of sacrilegious
sacrilegiously, adverbsacrilegiousness, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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