sacrilege

sacrilege — noun

1. an action or type of behaviour that treats something regarded as holy or deeply

1.nounC1
Definition

an action or type of behaviour that treats something regarded as holy or deeply valued in a way that shows a complete lack of respect, often shocking or offending those who care about it

Example

Many believers consider it a sacrilege to paint holy images on ordinary objects like shoes.

consider + object + a sacrilege + to-infinitive

Noa believed that changing her grandmother's funeral traditions would be a sacrilege.

Common collocations
  • commit sacrilege
  • be sacrilege to do something
  • consider something sacrilege
  • regard something as sacrilege
  • nothing short of sacrilege
  • a form of sacrilege
  • an act of sacrilege
  • sacrilege against
Synonyms
  • blasphemy

    narrower — specifically refers to disrespect toward God or religious beliefs in speech, not actions; stronger religious connotation

  • desecration

    more concrete — describes the physical act of damaging or defiling a sacred place or object; implies deliberate damage

  • profanation

    more formal and less common; treats something sacred as ordinary or common, often through misuse rather than damage

Antonyms
  • reverence

    the opposite feeling or attitude — deep respect for something sacred

  • veneration

    a stronger form of reverence, typically directed toward religious figures or objects

Grammar Patterns

consider + object + a sacrilege + to-infinitive

be + a sacrilege + to-infinitive

regard + object + as + a sacrilege

count + object + as + sacrilege

Usage Note

Originally used only for disrespect toward religious objects or places, 'sacrilege' is also common in figurative contexts for anything a group considers off-limits or inviolable. Frequently used with the indefinite article ('a sacrilege'), especially in metaphorical settings. The adjective form 'sacrilegious' describes the act or person, while 'sacrilege' names the act itself.

Common Mistakes

Stealing from the church is a sacrilege behavior.
Stealing from the church is sacrilege.' or 'Stealing from the church is a sacrilegious act.
'Sacrilege' is a noun, not an adjective; use 'sacrilegious' to describe a person or action.

Word family

  • sacrilegious
    adjectiveC1
  • sacrilegiously
    adverbC1
  • sacred
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve treating something sacred without respect, but they differ in scope and focus. 'Sacrilege' is the broadest — it covers any act or behaviour that violates what a group holds holy or deeply important, whether physically or symbolically ('Burning the flag was considered sacrilege'). 'Blasphemy' is limited to speech or written words that insult God or religious beliefs ('His comments about the prophet were seen as blasphemy'). 'Desecration' always involves a physical action — damaging, defiling, or destroying a sacred place or object ('The vandals were arrested for the desecration of the cemetery'). 'Profanation' is the rarest and most formal; it describes treating something sacred as ordinary or common rather than damaging it ('Critics saw the commercial use of the church as a profanation'). When speaking generally about disrespect toward anything deeply valued, 'sacrilege' is the most natural choice. For religious speech offences, use 'blasphemy'. For physical damage to a sacred site, use 'desecration'.

sacrilege ↗blasphemydesecrationprofanation

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • commit sacrilege
  • consider something sacrilege
  • regard something as sacrilege
  • nothing short of sacrilege
  • an act of sacrilege

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'sacrilegium', meaning 'theft of a sacred thing' — a combination of 'sacer' ('sacred, holy') and 'legere' ('to take, steal'). In ancient Rome, the word originally referred to the crime of stealing property from a temple. Over time its meaning widened from the literal theft of holy objects to any act of disrespect toward anything considered sacred or deeply valued.