profane

adjective
UK: /prəˈfeɪn/
US: /proʊˈfeɪn/

  1. Relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical; secular rather than religious.

    1. The play included profane language that some found offensive.
    2. Her paintings mixed profane imagery with traditional religious symbols creating controversy.

  2. Treating something sacred with disrespect or contempt; irreverent.

    1. The vandals scrawled profane graffiti on the church walls.
    2. Some critics deemed the artist's interpretation a profane mockery of religious icons.

Synonyms

secular worldly irreverent blasphemous defile desecrate
profane verb

  1. To treat something sacred with disrespect or contempt; to desecrate.

    1. Don't profane the temple!
    2. The protesters threatened to profane the monument if their demands weren't met.

  2. To debase or defile something noble or important.

    1. The movie seemed to profane the original novel's themes.
    2. He accused the corporation of profaning the environment for profit.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "profane" in English means: Relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical; secular rather than religious., Treating something sacred with disrespect or contempt; irreverent..

The phonetic transcription of "profane" is /prəˈfeɪn/ in British English and /proʊˈfeɪn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "profane": secular, worldly, irreverent, blasphemous, defile, desecrate.

Example usage of "profane": "The play included profane language that some found offensive.". More examples on the page.