sacrilège
/sa.kʁi.lɛʒ/masculine
The English word "sacrilege" is translated into French as sacrilège.
sacrilège refers to the desecration, profanation or violation of something sacred. While it can refer to religious desecration, it is also used figuratively to describe the violation of something held in high esteem, such as a tradition or a culinary rule.
Meaning: desecration, profanation, misuse or violation of something sacred (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun sacrilège is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 3 syllables and is pronounced /sa.kʁi.lɛʒ/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root 'sacrilegus' which gave rise to sacrilège originally referred specifically to the stealing of sacred things.
- In France, sacrilège is often used hyperbolically in sports to describe a fan supporting a rival team or a player leaving a legendary club.
- In a French kitchen, calling a food combination a sacrilège is a common way to jokingly express outrage at a culinary disaster, such as putting pineapple on pizza.
Examples in context
- Sacrilège !Sacrilege!This sentence shows how to use sacrilège as an exclamation.Tatoeba #1992294 by sacredceltic, translation #6583255 by Eccles17
- Certains croient que vandaliser des lieux de culte est un sacrilège.Some believe that vandalizing places of worship is a sacrilege.
- Remettre en question son héritage culturel est un blasphème.To question one's cultural heritage is a sacrilege.
- Ce vandalisme est un véritable sacrilège.This vandalism is a true sacrilege.
- Pour certains, briser cette statue est un sacrilège.For some, breaking this statue is a sacrilege.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are standing in front of an ancient, damaged temple.
- LucasRegarde ces graffitis sur les murs de l'autel.Look at these graffiti on the altar walls.
- LéaC'est un sacrilège de dégrader un tel lieu.It is a sacrilege to deface such a place.
- LucasJe suis d'accord, c'est un manque de respect total.I agree, it is a total lack of respect.
- LéaIls ne réalisent pas la gravité de leur acte.They do not realize the gravity of their act.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sacrilege” translations and entries sacrilège, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sacrilège, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
