sacrilegious

[ sak-ruh-lij-uhs, -lee-juhs ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or involving sacrilege:

   sacrilegious practices.

2. guilty of sacrilege:

   a sacrilegious person.

sacrilegious

/ ˌsækrɪˈlɪdʒəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving sacrilege; impious
2. guilty of sacrilege

Pronunciation Note

The almost universal pronunciation of sacrilegious as [sak-r, uh, -, lij, -, uh, s] is the result of folk etymology—modifying the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word so that it conforms to a more familiar one—in this case religious. Etymologically, sacrilegious has no direct relationship to religious. The historical pronunciation [sak-r, uh, -, lee, -j, uh, s] occurs in American English, though not in British English, and criticism of the newer pronunciation has almost disappeared.

Derived Forms

• ˌsacriˈlegiousness, noun
• ˌsacriˈlegiously, adverb

Other Words From

• sacri·legious·ly adverb
• sacri·legious·ness noun
• nonsac·ri·legious adjective
• nonsac·ri·legious·ly adverb
• nonsac·ri·legious·ness noun
• pseudo·sacri·legious adjective
• pseudo·sacri·legious·ly adverb
• unsac·ri·legious adjective
• unsac·ri·legious·ly adverb
• unsac·ri·legious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sacrilegious¹

1400–50; late Middle English sacrilegiose; sacrilege, -ous

Example Sentences

But Johnson is far more than a modest disciple of a 78-year-old demagogue who hawks his own sacrilegious version of Christianity's sacred text, nor is he just another Republican who swallows his unease over the racist invective in order to get lower corporate taxes.

From Salon

Cancer Christ mixes Christian, satanic and other “reptilian” imagery in an intentionally and outlandishly sacrilegious mix, with members at times wearing snake masks atop religious garments.

From Los Angeles Times

“Ironic” is Jackson’s unapologetic description for a song that lures an audience into a religious fervor for a sacrilegious sentiment.

From Los Angeles Times

Stern acknowledges that although the original is “embedded in people’s hearts” and it might be “sacrilegious” to say “Home Alone 2,” “the filming of that one is the winner.”

From Los Angeles Times

“The answers are so obvious and everyone gets sanctimoniously made into perfect saints, which is sad because, to me, the humanity is not sacrilegious at all. It’s more beautiful and inspiring, and much more likely, that they weren’t perfect and they’re trying to be better, even though it’s complicated and gnarly and incredibly uncertain.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blasphemous
• indecent
• obscene
• sinful