Meaning of profane in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Definitions
  3. Classifying Adjective
    1. Definitions
  4. Qualitative Adjective
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /prəˈfeɪn/

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    UK accent

  1. Verb

    profane

    Definitions

    1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

    Examples

    • « debauch the young people with wine and women »
    • « Socrates was accused of corrupting young men »
    • « Do school counselors subvert young children? »
    • « corrupt the morals »

    Derived terms

  2. 2. violate the sacred character of a place or language

    Examples

    • « desecrate a cemetary »
    • « violate the sanctity of the church »
    • « profane the name of God »

    Derived terms

  3. Classifying Adjective

    profane

    Definitions

    1. characterized by profanity or cursing

    Examples

    • « foul-mouthed and blasphemous »
    • « blue language »
    • « profane words »

    Synonyms

  4. 2. not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled

    Synonyms

  5. 3. grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred

    Examples

    • « blasphemous rites of a witches' Sabbath »
    • « profane utterances against the Church »
    • « it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on »

    Synonyms

  6. Qualitative Adjective

    profane

    Etymology

    late Middle English (in the sense ‘heathen’): from Old French prophane, from Latin profanus‘outside the temple, not sacred’, from pro- (from Latin pro‘before’) + fanum‘temple’

    Definitions

    1. not sacred or concerned with religion

    Examples

    • « sacred and profane music »
    • « children being brought up in an entirely profane environment »

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « I'm always trying to reach a transcendent point, a romantic point, but reach it in a really unconventional way, a really profane way. To get to that romantic, touching, heartbreaking place, but through a lot of acts of profanity. »
    Chuck Palahniuk
  • « I've tried to reduce profanity but I reduced so much profanity when writing the book that I'm afraid not much could come out. Perhaps we will have to consider it simply as a profane book and hope that the next book will be less profane or perhaps more sacred. »
    Ernest Hemingway
  • « Art is permitted to survive only if it renounces the right to be different, and integrates itself into the omnipotent realm of the profane. »
    Theodor Adorno
  • « The essence of the Hebrew Bible, transmitted by Christianity, is separation: between life and death, nature and God, good and evil, man and woman, and the holy and the profane. »
    Dennis Prager
  • « Half of the secular unrest and dismal, profane sadness of modern society comes from the vain ideas that every man is bound to be a critic for life. »
    Henry Van Dyke

See also

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