French Conversation · Level 172
15 words
French word
profaner
Pronunciation
IPA/pʁofane/
Meaning
- verbdesecrate
Example
Ne profane pas cette église.
Do not desecrate this church.
More examples
On a profané le cimetière la nuit dernière.
Someone desecrated the cemetery last night.
Core concept
A sacred place, object, or value treated as ordinary and stripped of its dignity.
Common phrases
profaner un cimetière
desecrate a cemetery
profaner un lieu sacré
desecrate a sacred place
Similar words
souiller: To soil something or tarnish someone's reputation with disgrace.
vandaliser: To damage public or private property through destruction or graffiti.
blasphémer: To insult religious faith by using blasphemous words about God or religion.
Definition in French
Souiller ou attaquer ce qui est considéré comme sacré, au sens propre (par exemple un lieu de culte) ou au sens figuré (par exemple des valeurs, des paroles).
Word origin
French profaner comes through Old French from Latin profanare, formed from profanus, meaning outside or not belonging to a temple.
Usage tips
- Profaner takes a direct object, as in profaner une église or profaner des paroles, rather than a preposition.