Sacrileges

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of violating sacred things or treating them with disrespect; actions or thoughts that show irreverence towards religious beliefs or practices; behaviors that undermine the sanctity of consecrated objects or spaces in religious contexts
2. An offense committed against what is holy, often involving desecration or profane behavior; instances of transgressing the boundaries of sacredness in a religious setting; acts that contradict the veneration expected toward religious ceremonies or symbols
3. Engaging in acts that breach the reverence owed to religious sites or practices; showing disdain or contempt for items or customs regarded as sacred; behaviors that contradict the respect or honor traditionally accorded in spirituality

Etymology: "Sacrileges" is the plural of "sacrilege," which entered English in the 1300s through Old French "sacrilege" from Latin "sacrilegium." The Latin noun is a compound of "sacer" (sacred, holy) and a second element related to "legere," meaning to gather, pick up, or steal. The sense is literally "stealing sacred things," and the earliest Roman uses were concrete: taking objects dedicated to the gods from a temple. The notion of theft is the part that survives best in the word's history. The meaning broadened over the Middle Ages from stealing consecrated items to any violation of what was holy, including desecrating a church, abusing the sacraments, or mocking religious rites. Plurals like "sacrileges" usually refer to specific acts rather than the abstract offense, so the form points to separate incidents of violation rather than a single general wrong.

Synonyms: profanations, desecrations, blasphemies, irreligious acts, impieties