Profanus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to something that is not sacred or religious; indicating a lack of respect for sacred principles or practices; describing behavior or language that is vulgar or irreverent in nature
2. Pertaining to that which is secular rather than sacred; demonstrating a disregard for holy matters through irreverence; characterizing expressions that are coarse or impolite regarding sacred topics
3. Associated with the ordinary rather than the divine; showing contempt for that which is revered; referring to terms or actions that are deemed disrespectful within a religious context

Etymology: "Profanus" is a Latin adjective meaning "outside the temple" or "not consecrated." It is built from "pro," meaning "before" or "in front of," and "fanum," a sacred place or shrine. Something profane stood in front of the sanctuary, outside the consecrated ground where ordinary people could not step, and so the word came to mean common or unhallowed rather than holy. The sense of "irreverent" or "vulgar" grew out of that contrast. Profane language was speech that broke the reverence owed to sacred things, and the sense of "swearing" followed from it. English took the word in the sense "not sacred" from Latin, and its verb "to profane," meaning to treat something holy with disrespect, came into use later.