1
as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters
it was hard to juggle the requirements of church and our more profane duties
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2
as in secular
not showing proper reverence for the holy or sacred
offended by the profane language that her coworkers used so casually
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3
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
his idea of dinner table conversation is the telling of profane stories about his alleged sexual exploits
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1
as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories
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2
as in to misuse
to put to a bad or improper use
profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies
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3
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profane
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2025
Weary head coach Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn) is facing pressure from Tricia (Wynn Everett), the very profane chair of the program (presumably the show’s red-state spin on Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham character) and will do anything to turn the program around.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021
The narrative is that of a leader who has experienced vilification at the hands of enemies who are both secular (and thus profane) and intensely demonic.
—Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for profane
Adjective
In borrowing from a patchwork of references, and steeping them in a brew both sacred and profane, D’Angelo was doing more than homage.
—Verb
Her husband, the exuberant and often profane former Dodgers manager who won two World Series championships, died Jan. 7 at 93.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for profane
Adjective
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The researchers were trying to test a concept known as temporal discontinuity, in which a brief amount of time passes between the introduction of an item and the assignment of its name.—
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Of course, school felt like a temporal abyss for a lot of young people, especially those who were violently singled out for their differences.—
Adjective
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Iran is a theocratic republic rooted ideologically in Shiite Islam while Venezuela is a socialist and secular regime.—
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Concern was higher among older and secular Israelis.—
Adjective
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Indonesia, with the world’s biggest Muslim population, has strict rules that ban the sharing online of content deemed obscene.—
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Sylvie's storylines are ridiculous, her wardrobe obscene, her audacity unparalleled.—
Verb
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And along the way enrich himself and partner with some of the world's most dangerous and violent drug traffickers and corrupting his country.—
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Trump has thoroughly corrupted the Justice Department, but its selective prosecutions of his foes have been thwarted by judges and, more strikingly, by grand juries.—
Verb
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And, if federal officials determine a state has misused funds, they can be withheld, reduced or clawed back.—
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Jacobson retired effective immediately on Monday after he was confronted by Mayor Justin Elicker and admitted to misusing the money, Elicker told reporters.—
Verb
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In October 2025, Beckerink pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges in connection to two incidents at Tracey's home in New Buffalo, Michigan, as well as one count of contempt for violating his bond, and was sentenced to 93 days in jail.—
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The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
Adjective
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So commences a night of harrowing encounters and trauma both physical and mental, starting with Ron and Mike’s trip to meet Oliver at a bar after one of his shows.—
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Perez does not break down training into physical and tactical work, instead designing complex exercises so players build fitness while practising real-game situations.—
Adjective
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Although the Ripken card launched many conspiracy theories as to whether the inclusion of its vulgar phrase was truly a mistake or a Fleer marketing ploy, there is a long history of errors making it through quality control in sports card production.—
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The joke swap during last year's Christmas episode went to some particularly jaw-dropping places after Che made Jost read a vulgar joke about Johansson.—
Cite this Entry
“Profane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profane. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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