1. the act of treating something sacred with disrespect or irreverence
2. an act that shows great disrespect for something that should be respected
Usage: often used figuratively

Examples

• The vandalism of the ancient church was considered an act of sacrilege.
• Many fans viewed the demolition of the historic stadium as sacrilege.
• He was accused of sacrilege for his disrespectful comments about the ceremony.
• The theft of religious artifacts from the temple was pure sacrilege.
• To her, throwing away her grandmother’s recipes would be sacrilege.
• The artist’s controversial work was denounced as sacrilege by religious leaders.
• Some consider it sacrilege to alter the original recipe for the famous dish.