desecrate

C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈdɛsɪˌkreɪt/ UK /ˈdɛsɪkreɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect

Vandals desecrated the ancient shrine overnight.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to treat a sacred place or... profane defile violate blaspheme dishonor contaminate

Opposites

consecrate sanctify hallow bless

Word family

Derived forms desecrationdesecratordesecrated

Related forms consecrate sacred sacrilege

Etymology

Coined from de- ('reverse of') + consecrate, modeled on the latter. Consecrate is from Latin consecrare, from com- + sacrare ('to make holy'), from sacer ('sacred').

de- Latin sacrare Latin sacer Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives

# desecrate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈdɛsɪˌkreɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈdɛsɪkreɪt

## Meanings
1. to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect

## Examples
- Vandals desecrated the ancient shrine overnight.

## Synonyms
- profane
- defile
- violate
- blaspheme
- dishonor
- contaminate

## Antonyms
- consecrate
- sanctify
- hallow
- bless

## Derived Forms
- desecration
- desecrator
- desecrated

## Related Forms
- consecrate
- sacred
- sacrilege

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: de-
- Root: sacrare
- Root: sacer

## Etymology
Coined from de- ('reverse of') + consecrate, modeled on the latter. Consecrate is from Latin consecrare, from com- + sacrare ('to make holy'), from sacer ('sacred').

## AI Etymology
Desecrate has the etymological history Coined from de- ('reverse of') + consecrate, modeled on the latter. Consecrate is from Latin consecrare, from com- + sacrare ('to make holy'), from sacer ('sacred'). The ancestry passes through Latin de-, Latin sacrare, and Latin sacer. The prefix de- often marks removal, reversal, or downward motion in Latin formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as a verb, it means "to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include consecrate, sacred, and sacrilege; derived forms include desecration, desecrator, and desecrated.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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