Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sacrilege

/ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables: sac-ri-lege
IPA: /ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something regarded as sacred.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"I recall the height of comfort attained by the green-cushioned "first" with starched white antimacassars and a pretentious grey floor mat on which it seemed a sacrilege to stand, as it was embellished with the North Western conception of Britannia, complete with trident."

Etymology

Circa 1300, original sense “stealing something sacred”. From Middle English sacrilege, from Old French sacrilege, from Latin sacrilegium, from sacrilegus (“sacrilegious”). Sense of “profanation” from late 14th century.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sacrilege, sacrilegium

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/
British English: /ˈsækɹɪlɪd͡ʒ/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

sacrileges (plural) sacriledge (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

sacrileger sacrilegious sacrilegist

Frequently Paired Words

impiety profaneness corruption

Synonyms

blasphemy desecration profanation sacrilege

Antonyms

adoration reverence veneration worship

Questions

How do you pronounce sacrilege?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/.
What does sacrilege mean?: Desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something regarded as sacred.
Where does sacrilege come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sacrilege

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sacrilege”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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