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sacrilegious - 3 dictionary results

sac⋅ri⋅le⋅gious

  [sak-ruh-lij-uhs, -lee-juhs]
Use sacrilegious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. pertaining to or involving sacrilege: sacrilegious practices.
2. guilty of sacrilege: a sacrilegious person.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME sacrilegiose; see sacrilege, -ous

Related forms:
sac⋅ri⋅le⋅gious⋅ly, adverb
sac⋅ri⋅le⋅gious⋅ness, noun

Pronunciation note:
The almost universal pronunciation of sacrilegious as [sak-ruh-lij-uhs] 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-ruh-lee-juhs] occurs in American English, though not in British English, and criticism of the newer pronunciation has almost disappeared.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sacrilegious
sac·ri·le·gious   (sāk'rə-lĭj'əs, -lē'jəs)   
adj.  
  1. Grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred.
  2. Having committed sacrilege.
sac'ri·le'gious·ly adv., sac'ri·le'gious·ness n.
Usage Note: Sacrilegious, the adjective form of sacrilege, is often misspelled through confusion with religious.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Sacrilegious

Sac`ri*le"gious\, a. [From sacrilege: cf. L. sacrilegus.] Violating sacred things; polluted with sacrilege; involving sacrilege; profane; impious.

Above the reach of sacrilegious hands. --Pope. -- Sac`ri*le"gious*ly, adv. -- Sac`ri*le"gious*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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