Profanation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pɹɒfəˈneɪʃ(ə)n/

Definitions

1. The act of treating something sacred with disrespect or irreverence
2. An action that violates the sanctity of a holy or revered object or place
3. The process of showing contempt or irreverence toward what is considered holy or sacred

Etymology: Latin "profānāre" was built from "pro-", meaning "before" or "in front of," and "fānum," a sacred place or temple. To profane something was literally to leave it outside the temple, in the open, no longer set apart as holy. The Latin "profānātiō" carried that spatial sense of moving something out of the sacred into ordinary ground. The noun came into English through Middle French, which had its own forms "prophanation" and "profanation." Its core meaning has stayed remarkably steady across more than six centuries: any act that strips a holy object or place of the reverence that made it sacred, whether by desecrating a church or treating a relic as ordinary property. The word is a straightforward formation. "Profane" supplies the root, and the suffix "-ation," which turns verbs into nouns of action, completes it. Understanding the Latin "fānum" also explains a cluster of relatives, such as "fane" and "fanatic," the latter tracing back to the idea of a person who stands too close to the temple.

Synonyms: desecration, violation, blasphemy, defilement, irreverence

Antonyms: sanctification, consecration, veneration, reverence, hallowing