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Meaning of PROFANE

Pronunciation:  pru'feyn

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [adj]  characterized by profanity or cursing; "foul-mouthed and blasphemous"; "blue language"; "profane words"
  2. [adj]  grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; "blasphemous rites of a witches' Sabbath"; "profane utterances against the Church"; "it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on"
  3. [adj]  not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled
  4. [adj]  not sacred or concerned with religion; "sacred and profane music"; "children being brought up in an entirely profane environment"
  5. [v]  violate the sacred character of a place or language; "desecrate a cemetary"; "violate the sanctity of the church"; "profane the name of God"
  6. [v]  corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals"
 
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 Synonyms: blasphemous, blue, corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralise, demoralize, deprave, desecrate, dirty, irreverent, laic, lay, misdirect, outrage, pervert, profanatory, sacrilegious, secular, secularised, secularized, subvert, temporal, unconsecrated, unhallowed, unholy, unsanctified, violate, vitiate, worldly
 
 Antonyms: sacred
 
 See Also: alter, assail, assault, attack, bastardise, bastardize, carnalise, carnalize, change, earthly, impious, infect, lead astray, lead off, poison, sensualise, sensualize, set on, suborn, whore

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \Pro*fane"\, a. [F., fr. L. profanus, properly, before
the temple, i. e., without the temple, unholy; pro before +
fanum temple. See 1st {Fane}.]
1. Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity;
   unconsecrated; hence, relating to matters other than
   sacred; secular; -- opposed to sacred, religious, or
   inspired; as, a profane place. ``Profane authors.'' --I.
   Disraeli.
         The profane wreath was suspended before the shrine.
                                               --Gibbon.
2. Unclean; impure; polluted; unholy.
         Nothing is profane that serveth to holy things.
                                               --Sir W.
                                               Raleigh.
3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect,
   irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious.
   Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the
   name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a
   profane person, word, oath, or tongue. --1 Tim. i. 9.
Syn: Secular; temporal; worldly; unsanctified; unhallowed;
     unholy; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; wicked;
     godless; impious. See {Impious}.

  2. \Pro*fane"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Profaned}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Profaning}.] [L. profanare: cf. F. profaner. See
{Profane}, a.]
1. To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse,
   irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to
   pollute; as, to profane the name of God; to profane the
   Scriptures, or the ordinance of God.
         The priests in the temple profane the sabbath.
                                               --Matt. xii.
                                               5.
2. To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make a base
   employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile.
         So idly to profane the precious time. --Shak.
 
Glossary
 
 Definition: the sphere of the ordinary and routine; the everyday, natural world.
 

 

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