sacrilegious

adj.

1. Grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred.
2. Having committed sacrilege.

sacrilegiously sac'ri·le'gious·ly adv.
sacrilegiousness sac'ri·le'gious·ness n.

USAGE NOTE   Sacrilegious, the adjective form of sacrilege, is often misspelled through confusion with religious.

adjective

Showing irreverence and contempt for something sacred: blasphemous, profane. See sacred/profane.

adj

Definition: profane
Antonyms: pious, respectful

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IN BRIEF: Grossly irreverent toward what is held to be holy.

When you have been given something in a moment of grace, it is sacrilegious to be greedy. — Marian Anderson (1897-1993)

Tutor's tip: This was the final winning word in the 1942 National Spelling Bee.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The adjective has one meaning:

Meaning #1: grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
  Synonyms: blasphemous, profane

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