Definitions for: Profane


[adj] characterized by profanity or cursing; "foul-mouthed and blasphemous"; "blue language"; "profane words"
[adj] grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; "blasphemous rites of a witches' Sabbath"; "profane utterances against the Church"; "it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on"
[adj] not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled
[adj] not sacred or concerned with religion; "sacred and profane music"; "children being brought up in an entirely profane environment"
[v] violate the sacred character of a place or language; "desecrate a cemetary"; "violate the sanctity of the church"; "profane the name of God"
[v] corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals"



Webster (1913) Definition: Pro*fane", a. [F., fr. L. profanus, properly, before
the temple, i. e., without the temple, unholy; pro before +
fanum temple. See 1st Fane.]
1. Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity;
unconsecrated; hence, relating to matters other than
sacred; secular; -- opposed to sacred, religious, or
inspired; as, a profane place. ``Profane authors.'' --I.
Disraeli.

The profane wreath was suspended before the shrine.
--Gibbon.

2. Unclean; impure; polluted; unholy.

Nothing is profane that serveth to holy things.
--Sir W.
Raleigh.

3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect,
irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious.
Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the
name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a
profane person, word, oath, or tongue. --1 Tim. i. 9.

Syn: Secular; temporal; worldly; unsanctified; unhallowed;
unholy; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; wicked;
godless; impious. See Impious.


Pro*fane", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Profaned; p. pr. &
vb. n. Profaning.] [L. profanare: cf. F. profaner. See
Profane, a.]
1. To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse,
irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to
pollute; as, to profane the name of God; to profane the
Scriptures, or the ordinance of God.

The priests in the temple profane the sabbath.
--Matt. xii.
5.

2. To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make a base
employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile.

So idly to profane the precious time. --Shak.

Synonyms: blasphemous, blue, corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralise, demoralize, deprave, desecrate, dirty, irreverent, laic, lay, misdirect, outrage, pervert, profanatory, sacrilegious, secular, secularised, secularized, subvert, temporal, unconsecrated, unhallowed, unholy, unsanctified, violate, vitiate, worldly

Antonyms: sacred

See Also: alter, assail, assault, attack, bastardise, bastardize, carnalise, carnalize, change, earthly, impious, infect, lead astray, lead off, poison, sensualise, sensualize, set on, suborn, whore

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