Well-read · Philosophy & belief
Sacrilege: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Sacrilege noun. Treating something holy with disrespect, or, jokingly, mistreating anything people hold precious.
How to say it
SAK-rih-lij/ˈsakrɪlɪdʒ/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (SAK). Forms: sacrilegious.
Sacrilege in a sentence
Thieves who stripped the lead from the chapel roof were charged with theft, not sacrilege.
Putting pineapple on that pizza would be sacrilege in Naples.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- desecration
- blasphemy
- profanity
- irreverence
Opposite:
- reverence
- piety
Where sacrilege comes from
From Latin sacrilegium, from sacrilegus, someone who steals sacred things.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Putting pineapple on that pizza would be _____ in Naples.
- heresy
- sacrilege
- empiricism
Show the answer
sacrilege: Putting pineapple on that pizza would be sacrilege in Naples.