Lexic.us

Definition of Profane

1. Adjective. Characterized by profanity or cursing. "Profane words"

2. Verb. Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality. "Corrupt the morals"

3. Adjective. Not concerned with or devoted to religion. "Children being brought up in an entirely profane environment"

4. Verb. Violate the sacred character of a place or language. "Profane the name of God"

5. Adjective. Not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled.

6. Adjective. Grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred. "It is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on"

Definition of Profane

1. a. 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.

2. v. t. 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.

Definition of Profane

1. Adjective. Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing. ¹

2. Adjective. Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular. ¹

3. Adjective. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; blasphemous, 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

4. Noun. A person or thing that is profane. ¹

5. Noun. (freemasonry) A person not a Mason. ¹

6. Verb. (transitive) 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. ¹

7. Verb. (transitive) To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make a base employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Profane

1. to treat with irreverence or abuse [v -FANED, -FANING, -FANES]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Profane

proepicardial proepicardium proerythroblast proestruses proetid proetids proette proettes prof proface

profamily profanation profanations profanatory profane (current term) profaned profanely profaneness profanenesses profaner

profaners profanes profanest profaning profanities profanity profanity delay profanity delays profection

Literary usage of Profane

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann, Edward Aloysius Pace, Condé Bénoist Pallen, Thomas Joseph Shahan, John Joseph Wynne (1913)
"But even in cases in which the sense of the Bible is certain, and the reality of the profane truth cannot be doubted, the proof of their mutual opposition ..."

2. Modern Painters by John Ruskin (1857)
"But as soon as they sought for beauty first, and truth secondarily, they were punished by losing sight of spiritual truth altogether, and the profane ..."

3. Commentaries on the Laws of England by Herbert Broom, Edward Alfred Hadley, William Wait, William Blackstone (1875)
"(635) Whither also may be referred all profane scoffing at the holy scripture, or exposing it to contempt and ridicule. These are offences punishable at ..."

4. South Eastern Reporter by West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, West Publishing Company, South Carolina Supreme Court (1912)
"Since "profane language" means language Irreverent toward God or holy things, proof that defendant called another a liar in a public ..."

5. The History of Civilization: From the Fall of the Roman Empire to the French by Guizot (François), M. Guizot, William Hazlitt (1856)
"Some wrecks of profane literature from the sixth to the eighth century—Of their true character—1st, Prose writers—Gregory of Tours—His life—His ..."

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