verb
-
to violate or outrage the sacred character of (an object or place) by destructive, blasphemous, or sacrilegious action
-
to remove the consecration from (a person, object, building, etc); deconsecrate
Other Word Forms
- desecrater noun
- desecration noun
- desecrator noun
- undesecrated adjective
Etymology
Origin of desecrate
First recorded in 1665–75; de- + -secrate, modeled on consecrate
Explanation
To desecrate means to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect. The news sometimes reports on vandals who have desecrated tombstones or places of worship. The word consecrate from the Latin consecrare means "to make sacred." Substituting the prefix con- with de- reverses the meaning. When preparing for a foreign occupation, the military instructs troops not to desecrate sacred sites and risk offending the local population. You can also desecrate someone's memory if you spread malicious lies about him after his death.
Vocabulary lists containing desecrate
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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The Book Thief
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Bless Me, Ultima
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Excessively entertainment-oriented portrayals desecrate the nation’s suffering and disrespect the people who made sacrifices,” read a recent commentary published in the state-run Economic Daily newspaper.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025
Calling the painting "sick stuff," Giuliani whined, "you can't do things that desecrate the most personal and deeply held views of people in society."
From Salon • Dec. 20, 2023
At issue is a proposal by one Indigenous group to expand and relocate its casino and whether the flashy new gambling hall, hotel and entertainment center would honor — or desecrate — the past.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2023
Cemetery operators Olinger Crown Hill concurred, telling KUSA-TV that it is “deeply disturbing that someone would desecrate a final resting place.”
From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2023
They joined ecstatic cults and allowed sick refugees to desecrate the great temples, where they died untended.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
