profane

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /prəˈfeɪn/ UK /prəˈfeɪn/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
showing disrespect for sacred things; secular; to treat irreverently

The vandals were charged with profaning the ancient temple.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · showing disrespect for... desecrate defile violate blaspheme secular irreverent sacrilegious unholy

Opposites

sacred holy hallow consecrate reverent

Word family

Forms profanenessunprofaned

Derived forms profanelyprofanenessprofanity profanation

Related forms fane

Simplified etymology

Profane comes from Latin profanus, meaning “outside the temple” and hence “not sacred,” formed from pro- “before” and fanum “temple.” Its early English sense was “heathen.”

Etymology

From Old French profane, from Latin profanus ('unholy, not consecrated', literally 'before/outside the temple'), from pro- ('before') + fanum ('temple').

profanus Latin fanum Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# profane

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /prəˈfeɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /prəˈfeɪn/

## Meanings
1. showing disrespect for sacred things; secular; to treat irreverently

## Examples
- The vandals were charged with profaning the ancient temple.

## Synonyms
- desecrate
- defile
- violate
- blaspheme
- secular
- irreverent
- sacrilegious
- unholy

## Antonyms
- sacred
- holy
- hallow
- consecrate
- reverent

## Derived Forms
- profanely
- profaneness
- profanity
- profanation

## Related Forms
- fane

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: profanus
- Root: fanum

## Etymology
From Old French profane, from Latin profanus ('unholy, not consecrated', literally 'before/outside the temple'), from pro- ('before') + fanum ('temple').

## AI Etymology
Profane comes from Old French profane, from Latin profanus ('unholy, not consecrated', literally 'before/outside the temple'), from pro- ('before') + fanum ('temple'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective and verb, it carries the sense "showing disrespect for sacred things; secular; to treat irreverently", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin profanus and Latin fanum. Derivative forms include profanely, profaneness, profanity, profanation; related words include fane.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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