blasphemy

[ blas-fuh-mee ]
/ ˈblæs fə mi /

noun, plural blas·phe·mies.

impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
Judaism.
  1. an act of cursing or reviling God.
  2. pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself.

Origin of blasphemy

1175–1225; Middle English blasphemie < Late Latin blasphēmia < Greek. See blasphemous, -y3

SYNONYMS FOR blasphemy

1 profanity, cursing, swearing; sacrilege, impiety.

OTHER WORDS FROM blasphemy

non·blas·phe·my, noun, plural non·blas·phe·mies.

Example sentences from the Web for blasphemy

British Dictionary definitions for blasphemy

blasphemy
/ (ˈblæsfɪmɪ) /

noun plural -mies

blasphemous behaviour or language
Also called: blasphemous libel law the crime committed if a person insults, offends, or vilifies the deity, Christ, or the Christian religion