Profane

  • 1profane — [ prɔfan ] adj. et n. • 1553; prophane 1228; lat. profanus « hors du temple » I ♦ 1 ♦ Didact. ou littér. Qui est étranger à la religion (opposé à religieux, sacré). Le monde profane. « Des thés et autres divertissements profanes » (Toulet).… …

    Encyclopédie Universelle

  • 2profane — adj 1 Profane, secular, lay, temporal mean not dedicated or set apart for religious ends or uses. Profane specifically implies an opposition to sacred (see HOLY) in this sense it is purely descriptive and not derogatory; thus, profane history is… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 3profane — PROFANE. adj. de tout genre. Qui est contre le respect & la reverence qu on doit aux choses de la Religion. C est une action profane & impie. convertir les choses sacrées en des usages profanes. Il se dit aussi, De ce qui regarde purement les… …

    Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • 4Profane — Pro*fane , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Profaned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Profaning}.] [L. profanare: cf. F. profaner. See {Profane}, a.] [1913 Webster] 1. To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5Profane — Pro*fane , a. [F., fr. L. profanus, properly, before the temple, i. e., without the temple, unholy; pro before + fanum temple. See 1st {Fane}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity; unconsecrated; hence, relating …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 6profané — profané, ée (pro fa né, née) part. passé de profaner. 1°   Qui a été traité avec irrévérence, en parlant des choses sacrées. Un calice profané. •   Un caractère [celui d ambassadeur] si cruellement profané [par le meurtre de Patkul], VOLT. Russ.… …

    Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • 7profane — [adj] immoral, crude, disrespectful of religion abusive, atheistic, blasphemous, coarse, dirty*, filthy*, foul, godless, heathen, idolatrous, impious, impure, indecent, infidel, irreligious, irreverent, irreverential, mundane, nasty, obscene,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 8profane — [prō fān′, prəfān′] adj. [LME prophane < MFr < L profanus < pro , before + fanum, temple; lit., outside of the temple, hence not sacred, common: see PRO 1 & FANE] 1. not connected with religion or religious matters; secular [profane art] …

    English World dictionary

  • 9profane — I adjective bad, blasphemous, coarse, common, damnatory, dirty, disrespectful, evil, execrative, faithless, foul spoken, foulmouthed, godless, impious, impius, imprecative, imprecatory, improper, impure, indelicate, irreligious, irreverant, laic …

    Law dictionary

  • 10profane — (v.) late 14c., from L. profanare to desecrate, from profanus unholy, not consecrated, from pro fano not admitted into the temple (with the initiates), lit. out in front of the temple, from pro before (see PRO (Cf. pro )) + fano, ablative of… …

    Etymology dictionary