sacrilege
noun
- a technical and not necessarily intrinsically outrageous violation (such as improper reception of a sacrament) of what is sacred because consecrated to God
- gross irreverence toward a hallowed person, place, or thing
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈsækɹɪlɪd͡ʒ/ / /ˈsækɹəlɪd͡ʒ/
noun
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.
- Desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something regarded as sacred.
“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.”