sacrilegio

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian.

sacrilegio means Profane use of a sacred object. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 94 out of 100.

Why this word is great

SACRILEGIO — [Noun] The profane or improper use of a sacred object. From Italian sacrilegio, borrowed from Latin sacrilegium, from sacer ("sacred") + legere ("to steal"). Unlike "blasphemy" (which sullies the divine with words) or "desecration" (which mars the sacred with violence), sacrilegio is a quieter betrayal, a perversion of purpose. It is the chalice repurposed as a tavern goblet, the torn page of scripture folded into a love note, the relic displayed as a curio in a collector’s cabinet—each act a small severing of the thread between the earthly and the eternal.

noun

Profane use of a sacred object.“When she tired, I loosened up a little, to let her blow. Yes, it was rape, but only technical, brother, only technical. Above the waist, maybe she was worried about the sacrilegio, but from the waist down she wanted me, bad. There couldn’t be any doubt about that.”