What does blasphemy mean?

Definitions for blasphemy
ˈblæs fə miblas·phe·my

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word blasphemy.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. blasphemynoun

    blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)

  2. profanation, desecration, blasphemy, sacrilegenoun

    blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character

    "desecration of the Holy Sabbath"

Wiktionary

  1. blasphemynoun

    Irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable.

  2. blasphemynoun

    The act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for any religion's deity or deities.

  3. blasphemynoun

    The act of claiming the attributes of a deity.

  4. Etymology: blasfemie, from blasphemia, from βλασφημία, from βλασφημέω.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Blasphemynoun

    Blasphemy, strictly and properly, is an offering of some indignity, or injury, unto God himself, either by words or writing. John Ayliffe Parergon.

    Etymology: from blaspheme.

    But that my heart’s on future mischief set,
    I would speak blasphemy, ere bid you fly;
    But fly you must. William Shakespeare, Henry VI. p. ii.

    Intrinsick goodness consists in accordance, and sin in contrariety, to the secret will of God; or else God could not be defined good, so far as his thoughts and secrets, but only superficially good, as far as he is pleased to reveal himself, which is perfect blasphemy to imagine. Henry Hammond, Fundamentals.

Wikipedia

  1. Blasphemy

    Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religious crime, especially the Abrahamic religions, including the speaking the "sacred name" in Judaism and the "eternal sin" in Christianity.In the early history of the Church heresy received more attention than blasphemy because it was considered a more serious threat to Orthodoxy. Blasphemy was often regarded as an isolated offense wherein the faithful lapsed momentarily from the expected standard of conduct. When iconoclasm and the fundamental understanding of the sacred became more contentious matters during the Reformation, blasphemy was treated similar to heresy, and accusations of blasphemy were made not only against people who made off-the-cuff profane remarks while drunk, but against those types of persons who espoused unorthodox ideas that religious officials considered dangerous.Blasphemy laws were abolished in England and Wales in 2008, and in Ireland in 2020. Scotland repealed its blasphemy laws in 2021. Many other countries have abolished blasphemy laws including Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. As of 2019, 40 percent of the world's countries still had blasphemy laws on the books, including 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, or 90% of countries in that region. Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, have no concept of blasphemy and hence prescribe no punishment.

ChatGPT

  1. blasphemy

    Blasphemy is the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk or actions concerning something considered holy or inviolable. It may involve disrespect, defamation, desecration, or denial of the existence or power of a deity or religion.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Blasphemynoun

    an indignity offered to God in words, writing, or signs; impiously irreverent words or signs addressed to, or used in reference to, God; speaking evil of God; also, the act of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of deity

  2. Blasphemynoun

    figuratively, of things held in high honor: Calumny; abuse; vilification

Wikidata

  1. Blasphemy

    Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for a religious deity or the irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws that sanction those who are offended by blasphemy to effect their wrath on blasphemers. Those laws may condone penalties or retaliation for blasphemy under the labels of blasphemous libel, expression of opposition, or "villification," of religion or of some religious practices, religious insult, or hate speech.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Blasphemy

    defined by Ruskin as the opposite of euphemy, and as wishing ill to anything, culminating in wishing ill to God, as the height of "ill-manners."

Editors Contribution

  1. Blasphemy

    Talking disrespectfully about god or doing an act that is profane; showing reverence towards a deity.

    Police should arrest all the pseudo-seculars guilty of blasphemy.


    Submitted by anonymous on May 4, 2019  

Suggested Resources

  1. blasphemy

    Song lyrics by blasphemy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by blasphemy on the Lyrics.com website.

How to pronounce blasphemy?

How to say blasphemy in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of blasphemy in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of blasphemy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of blasphemy in a Sentence

  1. King Jehovah Hohenzollern:

    Hamlet knows a hawk from a handsaw, I know blasphemy from a lie and plagiarism from a bad decision.

  2. Phil Robertson:

    Pakistan’s blasphemy law has been used in a way to target religious minorities, there has been violence perpetrated against people accused of blasphemy. When facing that kind of persecution, many have no choice but to leave.

  3. Phelim Kine:

    She is an exemplar of a gross miscarriage of injustice rooted in Pakistan’s extremely unfair blasphemy laws and of how this law can victimize someone who should not be inside the criminal justice system whatsoever.

  4. Reema Omer:

    After the launch of our report (into blasphemy legislation), we were told by hosts of TV talk shows that they have been cautioned against 'going too far' in their critique of the blasphemy law, especially after recent cases of blasphemy allegations against anchor persons and media houses.

  5. Paul Rudnick:

    There is only one blasphemy, and that is the refusal to experience joy.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for blasphemy

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"blasphemy." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/blasphemy>.

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