desecration

[ des-i-krey-shuhn ]

/ dɛs ɪˈkreɪ ʃən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR desecration ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of treating something sacred or solemn in a sacrilegious or disrespectful way: Many locals opposed the use of their former church building as a courthouse, feeling that conducting civil matters there would be a desecration of a holy place.

the act of ruining or violating something revered or greatly valued: Greedy corporations are contributing to the demise of civilization and the desecration of the ecosystem.

Origin of desecration

desecr(ate) + -ation

OTHER WORDS FROM desecration

non·des·e·cra·tion, noun

Words nearby desecration

descriptivist, descriptor, descry, Desdemona, desecrate, desecration, deseed, desegregate, desegregation, deselect, desensitization

Example sentences from the Web for desecration

Christian refugees in southern Turkey tell of rapes, forced conversions to Islam and the desecration of churches.
The Holy Land’s Endangered Christians|Jamie Dettmer|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are the cultural destruction and desecration by armed extreme Islamic groups that have seized power.
Mali: Islamists Destroy Historic City of Timbuktu|Paula Froelich|July 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It turns my stomach to write these words, but this is "desecration."
Perry Has a Point About the Marines Video vs. the Daniel Pearl Video|Asra Q. Nomani|January 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Tehran and Tabriz bazaars closed briefly on December 16 as a show of protest against the desecration.
Will Iran Ignite?|Gary Sick|December 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST

The sight of their old home changed even to desecration was bad enough, but this cold ingratitude was worse.
Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume I.|Charles James Lever
To bring them out only to attend a reception, or a tea party, is a desecration.
The Eugenic Marriage, Vol. 3 (of 4)|W. Grant Hague
I shall have some of that, anyway, though it seems rather like desecration to go and actually eat them.
Babylon, Volume 2 (of 3)|Grant Allen
Exasperated and offended, I turn my back upon the desecration, and open a book of poems.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
The whole horror of the desecration of her married life had been revealed to her in this room by this man.
Great Possessions|Mrs. Wilfrid Ward