profane 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of profanenext
1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in secular
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

profane

2 of 2

verb

prō-ˈfān How to pronounce profane (audio)
1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

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3
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of profane
Adjective
The one-finger salute is her biggest calling card — a profane habit that’s built her a social media fandom 5 million followers deep. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 Enes Kanter Freedom exposes Natasha Cloud's profane tirade after WNBA ejection. — FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
At the risk of profaning a wonderful show, the second season is even better. — John Anderson, wsj.com, 4 Apr. 2023 Sean Delahanty, who was colorful, outspoken and sometimes profane in 20 years on Jefferson District Court, has died. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 28 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for profane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
  1. temporal
  2. secular
  3. obscene
  4. corrupt
  5. misuse
  6. violate
  7. physical
  8. atheistic
Adjective
  • The team tested whether the hardware could distinguish temporal patterns using four consecutive input signals that could each be switched on or off.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Curiously, cobalt was linked with a small rise in amyloid-beta proteins in the inferior temporal cortex.
    — Mike McRae August 31, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of temporal
Adjective
  • Women had long been leaders and chief ideologues in secular movements – such as in the Weather Underground in the United States, Italy’s Red Brigades, Germany’s Red Army Faction and the Basque separatist group ETA.
    — Sara Harmouch, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The flagship gathering resembles a cross between a Mardi Gras parade, an agricultural expo and a secular revival.
    — Sam Flemming, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of secular
Adjective
  • The public must contend head-on with a collapsing currency and runaway inflation, and to ordinary Iranians, describing the present situation as sustainable would sound almost obscene.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Current Florida law says a school district can review and remove a book after a complaint has been made that a book is pornographic, obscene or isn’t age appropriate.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of obscene
Verb
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The audience is interacting with an object that had been scanned, that had been corrupted in some way.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • States, or city and town councils, should mandate regular audits of database access and impose strict criminal penalties for cops who misuse the technology.
    — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In Florida, police have repeatedly been caught misusing Flock cameras, sometimes tracking single cars hundreds of times for personal reasons.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of misuse
Verb
  • The government characterized Lemon as part of the demonstration, arguing his actions at a church crossed the line from a reporting to a protesting role, violating the First Amendment right to worship and freedom of religion.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Advisors who do have a fiduciary duty and who violate that responsibility can be subject to fairly serious consequences, including regulatory penalties, civil liabilities and criminal charges.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of violate
Adjective
  • Read Full Review Designed to tie in the five elements and the five senses, this Greek idyll is built into a mountain and has a large spherical pool as its physical and spiritual center.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There is humiliation here, claustrophobia, physical vulnerability and an intimacy that occasionally brushes against the erotic.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of physical
Adjective
  • His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
  • But there has been a recent rise in secular congregations that explicitly mimic religious organizations and rituals to celebrate atheistic worldviews.
    — Jacqui Frost, The Conversation, 11 Jan. 2024
Definition of atheistic

Browse Nearby Words

profanatory
profane
profaned
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Cite this Entry

“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on profane

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about profane

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