blasphemy
Americannoun
plural
blasphemies-
impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
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Judaism.
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an act of cursing or reviling God.
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pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
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Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
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irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc..
He uttered blasphemies against life itself.
noun
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blasphemous behaviour or language
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Also called: blasphemous libel. law the crime committed if a person insults, offends, or vilifies the deity, Christ, or the Christian religion
Other Word Forms
- nonblasphemy noun
Etymology
Origin of blasphemy
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English blasphemie, from Late Latin blasphēmia, from Greek, equivalent to blasphem(ous) + -y 3
Explanation
Saying offensive things about God or religion is blasphemy. Blasphemy can be used for offensive ideas in other areas too. If you're saying something bad about a god, or taking the Lord's name in vain, or questioning a religious institution in any way, you could be accused of blasphemy — insulting something sacred. You can use this word in a lot of other ways too. At a meeting of conservatives, a liberal idea could be considered blasphemy (and vice versa). You might even jokingly cry "Blasphemy!" if a friend said your favorite ice cream flavor stinks.
Vocabulary lists containing blasphemy
The Crucible
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I Am Malala
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The Glass Castle
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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.
We’ve got two big threads this week: creeps in the House of Representatives and blasphemy.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
She also represented those accused of blasphemy -- an incendiary charge in Pakistan -- as well as Afghans who face crackdowns by the authorities.
From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026
There cannot be, since blasphemy depends on the acknowledgment of the sacred.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025
In that climate, publicly denouncing a man for blasphemy was tantamount to designating a terrorist target, prosecutors will argue.
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024
Subversion, sedition, blasphemy, heresy, all rolled into one.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
