profane

²profane

adj

Definition of PROFANE

1

: not concerned with religion or religious purposes : secular

2

: not holy because unconsecrated, impure, or defiled : unsanctified

3

a : serving to debase or defile what is holy : irreverent b : obscene, vulgar

4

a : not being among the initiated b : not possessing esoteric or expert knowledge

— pro·fane·ly adverb

— pro·fane·ness \-ˈfān-nəs\ noun

Examples of PROFANE

1. <it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties>
2. <offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually>

Origin of PROFANE

Middle English prophane, from Middle French, from Latin profanus, from pro- before + fanum temple — more at pro-, feast

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to PROFANE

Synonyms: nonreligious, secular, temporal

Antonyms: religious, sacred

Related Words: atheistic, godless, irreligious, pagan, paganish, religionless; laical (or laic), lay, nonclerical; nondenominational, nonsectarian; earthly, mundane, terrene, terrestrial, worldly; material, physical, substantial; bodily, carnal, corporal, fleshly; blasphemous, impious, irreverent, sacrilegious; unconsecrated, unhallowed

Near Antonyms: divine, spiritual; consecrated, hallowed, holy, sacrosanct, sanctified; churchly, devout, godly, pious, prayerful, reverent, worshipful; ethereal, insubstantial, metaphysical, unsubstantial; bodiless, immaterial, incorporeal, nonphysical

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra