adjective
profane
pruh-FAYN
adjective
1
Showing disrespect for sacred or religious things.
"He was scolded for making profane jokes in church."
2
Relating to ordinary, non-religious life rather than the sacred.
"The lecture covered both sacred and profane art of the period."
verb
1
To treat something sacred with disrespect; to desecrate.
"The vandals profaned the ancient temple with graffiti."
How to Use Profane
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDisrespectful toward sacred things, or simply non-religious.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
profane language
sacred and profane
Word Forms
profaner comparative, more profane comparative, profaned past tense, profanes plural, profanes singular, profanest superlative, most profane superlative
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Etymology
From Latin profānus, "not sacred," from pro- ("in front of, outside") + fānum ("temple") — literally "outside the temple."