profane 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of profanenext
1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in secular
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

profane

2 of 2

verb

prō-ˈfān How to pronounce profane (audio)
1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories

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2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

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3
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of profane
Adjective
At first, the prospect of Apple TV reviving Ted Lasso — a great series that won big awards and concluded maybe not with a great series finale but at least one that felt final —seemed profane. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 Some slogans and posters have taken on an overtly profane and risqué tone. — ABC News, 25 July 2026
Verb
At the risk of profaning a wonderful show, the second season is even better. — John Anderson, wsj.com, 4 Apr. 2023 Sean Delahanty, who was colorful, outspoken and sometimes profane in 20 years on Jefferson District Court, has died. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 28 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for profane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
  1. temporal
  2. secular
  3. obscene
  4. corrupt
  5. misuse
  6. violate
  7. physical
  8. atheistic
Adjective
  • When the dogs saw pictures of happy people, their temporal cortex and caudate nucleus became active.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And those are just the normal lines—not the special-occasion ones that require more serious temporal investment.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of temporal
Adjective
  • The stock remains above the rising monthly cloud model, which defines the secular bull trend.
    — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Her choice was made possible not just by medical infrastructure, but by decades of La Presse front pages, the slow cultural work of a secular society deciding, together, this was something a person could choose.
    — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of secular
Adjective
  • Climate Pledge Arena prohibits abusive or obscene language and says violators may be ejected.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • These stories were reprinted in Scottish and English botanical texts, and Henrietta would have known about the obscene ideas connected with the mushroom.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
Definition of obscene
Verb
  • Thomas Mann—who later changed his mind on such matters—believed that Germany in the First World War was fighting for its unique national soul against a shallow materialist Western civilization corrupted by rationalism.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That said, real Strange may be corrupted by the Darkhold and Wanda could still be on her villain arc.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • The maker of the Taser recently phased out its drive-stun feature, a similar pain compliance tool that had been misused by some officers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Later in the month, a 17-year veteran of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office was fired and arrested for misusing Flock license plate data, which was identified during an internal probe.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of misuse
Verb
  • Any students or student organizations determined to have violated the University of Miami code of conduct will be held accountable.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuit was filed in December 2023 by Torrez, who alleged Meta's platforms harmed children and violated state law.
    — Jason Volack, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of violate
Adjective
  • But the curve seems to settle at around 33, where even the most experienced of centre-backs lose appeal due to a drop-off in their physical capabilities and pace.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Businesses and nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million to cover physical damages and may also qualify for loans to help cover financial losses resulting from the bad weather.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of physical
Adjective
  • His father's death during World War II influenced his pursuit of the ministry even amid the officially atheistic communist regime of the Soviet Union, according to his obituary on the OCU website.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
  • But there has been a recent rise in secular congregations that explicitly mimic religious organizations and rituals to celebrate atheistic worldviews.
    — Jacqui Frost, The Conversation, 11 Jan. 2024
Definition of atheistic

Browse Nearby Words

profanatory
profane
profaned
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Cite this Entry

“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on profane

Nglish: Translation of profane for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about profane

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