impiety

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   lack of reverence or respect for a god, religion, or something regarded as sacred

   His public rejection of the city's gods led to a charge of impiety.

2. 2
   noun

   an act or statement that shows religious irreverence

   The court treated the desecration of the shrine as an impiety.

From Middle English impiete, via Old French impieté, from Latin impietas ("lack of dutiful reverence"), built from in- ("not") + pietas ("piety, duty"), from pius ("dutiful, devout"). The English noun can name either the state of irreverence or an act expressing it.

Topics