sacrilegious

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   showing gross disrespect for, or violating, something regarded as sacred

   Removing the relic from the shrine was condemned as a sacrilegious act.

From sacrilege + -ous, ultimately from Latin sacrilegus ('one who steals sacred things'), formed from sacer ('sacred') + legere ('to gather or steal'). The sense broadened from temple robbery to any grave violation of the sacred.

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