noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsækɹɪlɪd͡ʒ/
General-American:/ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S AE1 K R AH0 L AH0 JH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something regarded as sacred.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blasphemy
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
desecration of the Holy Sabbath
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: profanation, desecration, blasphemy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: irreverence, violation
History
Etymology
Circa 1300, original sense “stealing something sacred”. From Middle English sacrilege, from Old French sacrilege, from Latin sacrilegium, from sacrilegus (“sacrilegious”). Sense of “profanation” from late 14th century.
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَدْنِيس
(tadnīs)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Arabic:
تَرْجِيس
(tarjīs)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Armenian:
սրբապղծություն
(srbapġcutʻyun)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Asturian:
sacrilexu
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Belarusian:
святата́цтва
(svjatatáctva)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Belarusian:
блюзне́рства
(bljuznjérstva)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Belarusian:
блюзьне́рства
(bljuzʹnjérstva)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Bulgarian:
кощу́нство
(koštúnstvo)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Bulgarian:
светота́тство
(svetotátstvo)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Catalan:
sacrilegi
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Chinese Mandarin:
冒瀆 /冒渎
(màodú)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Czech:
svatokrádež
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Danish:
helligbrøde
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Dutch:
heiligschennis
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Esperanto:
sakrilegio
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Estonian:
pühaduseteotus
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Finnish:
pyhäinhäväistys
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
French:
sacrilège
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Galician:
sacrilexio
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
German:
Sakrileg
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Greek:
ιεροσυλία
(ierosylía)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Ancient Greek:
ἱεροσυλία
(hierosulía)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Hungarian:
szentségtörés
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Ido:
sakrilejo
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Indonesian:
sakrilegi
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Italian:
sacrilegio
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Japanese:
冒涜
(bōtoku)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Kazakh:
ардақты нәрсені қорлаушылық
(ardaqty närsenı qorlauşylyq)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Kazakh:
ерекше қадірлі нәрсені қорлаушылық
(erekşe qadırlı närsenı qorlauşylyq)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Kazakh:
қасиетті нәрсені масқаралаушылық
(qasiettı närsenı masqaralauşylyq)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Kazakh:
күпірлік
(küpırlık)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Korean:
모독
(modok)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Latin:
sacrilegium
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Macedonian:
сквернавење
(skvernavenje)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Norwegian Bokmål:
helligbrød
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Occitan:
sacrilègi
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Polish:
blasfemia
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Polish:
bluźnierstwo
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Polish:
profanacja
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Polish:
świętokradztwo
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Portuguese:
sacrilégio
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Romanian:
sacrilegiu
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Russian:
кощу́нство
(koščúnstvo)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Russian:
святота́тство
(svjatotátstvo)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Serbo-Croatian:
светогрђе
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Serbo-Croatian:
svetogrđe
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Slovak:
svätokrádež
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Slovene:
svetoskrunstvo
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Slovene:
bogokletstvo
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Spanish:
sacrilegio
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Swedish:
helgerån
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Swedish:
skändlighet
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Swedish:
hädelse
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Ukrainian:
святота́тство
(svjatotátstvo)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
Ukrainian:
блюзнірство
(bljuznirstvo)
— desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred
