profane
Definitions
Showing disrespect or contempt for sacred things; irreverent
亵渎的，不敬神的
Secular; not concerned with religion or sacred matters
世俗的，非宗教的
To treat something sacred with irreverence or contempt; to desecrate
亵渎，玷污（神圣之物）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpro- ('in front of, outside') + fanum ('temple') = 'in front of / outside the temple' — the ordinary ground beyond the sacred enclosure. Hence profane means 'not sacred, worldly,' and from there 'irreverent toward holy things.'
Root fanum still carries 4 more wordsWhy It Means This
Profane is the temple seen from the wrong side of the threshold. Inside the boundary is the sacred (fanum); step out in front of it (pro-) and you are on common, worldly ground — profanus. So the word first meant simply 'secular,' the opposite of holy. Because stepping outside the sacred can also mean dragging it down, profane then sharpened into 'disrespectful, blasphemous' — to profane a shrine is to treat the holy as if it were common dirt.
Usage Guide
Adjective splits two ways: 'profane language/gestures' = irreverent, blasphemous (negative); 'sacred and profane art' = the neutral secular/religious contrast. The verb (to profane) is formal and almost always about desecrating something holy. Stress: pro-FANE.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The graffiti profaned the walls of the ancient temple.
- 2.
He was rebuked for using profane language in church.
- 3.
The exhibition contrasts sacred and profane art.
Easily Confused
profane vs secular — both mean 'not religious,' but secular is neutral (a secular state), while profane carries a charge of irreverence or contempt (profane language). A secular event is simply non-religious; a profane act disrespects the sacred.