DEFILEMENTS Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

defilements

noun

plural of defilement

as in corruptions

an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things for two centuries the Christian monasteries in England suffered defilements at the hands of Viking invaders

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as in contaminants

something that is or that makes impure souvenir shops, observation towers, and other tacky defilements on Civil War battlefields that should be considered hallowed ground

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilements

Noun

All violations would carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
When Newt Gingrich lost support because of ethics violations and the GOP's poor showing in an election, Republicans elected Hastert to succeed him.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of violations

Noun

The property invested in a water and sewage plant that ensures no contaminants enter the ocean, plus gives detailed training to all staff on sustainability practices.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The monitoring detected a medley of air contaminants commonly associated with burning fossil fuels.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of contaminants

Noun

Wild salmon, for example, may sound healthier, but its liver, kidneys, intestines, head and skin store more chemical pollutants than the rest of the fish.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Ozone, which is made up of three oxygen atoms, forms when emissions of other pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides from fossil-fuel burning or wildfires mix with sunlight and heat.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of pollutants

Noun

In one of the heaviest contaminations of TCE and PCE documented, thousands of soldiers and their families were exposed to the solvents at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987.

— WUFT News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
And the Food and Drug Administration is also investigating contaminations that may be tied to a different outbreak.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Definition of contaminations

Noun

Ukrainian strikes have also increasingly targeted the more complex equipment that removes impurities from fuel, which takes months to repair.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Better crystals reveal the signal The researchers first needed cleaner UTe₂ crystals because PDWs are extremely delicate and impurities can obscure their signatures.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of impurities

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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defilement

defilements

defiles

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“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defilements

noun

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