blasphemy
NounUS/ˈblæsfəmi/3 syllables
Open English WordNet
Noun (2)
- blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)Type of profanity, disrespect
- blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character“desecration of the Holy Sabbath”Synonyms: profanationdesecrationsacrilegeType of irreverence, violation
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Blas′phe·my (…), noun
Origin: L. blasphemia, Gr. …: cf. OF. blasphemie.
1. An indignity offered to God in words, writing, or signs; impiously irreverent words or signs addressed to, or used in reference to, God; speaking evil of God; also, the act of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of deity.
☞ When used generally in statutes or at common law, blasphemy is the use of irreverent words or signs in reference to the Supreme Being in such a way as to produce scandal or provoke violence.
2. Figuratively, of things held in high honor: Calumny; abuse; vilification.
Punished for his blasphemy against learning.— Francis, Baron Verulam Bacon
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54