sacrilegious
[sak-ruh-lij-uh s, -lee-juh s]
adjective
Origin of sacrilegious
Pronunciation note
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for sacrilegious
blasphemous, sinful, obscene, indecent, atheistic, dirty, filthy, foul, godless, heathen, impious, infidel, irreligious, irreverent, pagan, ungodly, unhallowed, unholyExamples from the Web for sacrilegious
Contemporary Examples of sacrilegious
Historical Examples of sacrilegious
I am through with the sacrilegious beast as soon as he is dead.
Chit-Chat; Nirvana; The SearchlightMathew Joseph Holt
For it is impossible, as well as sacrilegious, to be as quick as Baedeker.
Where Angels Fear to TreadE. M. Forster
Such a thing would have been horrible, revolting, sacrilegious.
The Life of Cesare BorgiaRaphael Sabatini
Their eyes, dilating with horror, followed his sacrilegious hand.
Dreamers of the GhettoI. Zangwill
What miscreant hero had dared perform this sacrilegious exploit?
Tom, Dick and HarryTalbot Baines Reed
sacrilegious
adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper