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Derogatory vs Profane - What's the difference?

derogatory | profane |

As adjectives the difference between derogatory and profane

is that derogatory is tending to derogate, or lessen in value of someone; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious while profane is unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.

As nouns the difference between derogatory and profane

is that derogatory is a trade-line on a credit report that includes negative credit history while profane is a person or thing that is profane.

As a verb profane is

to violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to pollute; as, to profane the name of God; to profane the Scriptures, or the ordinance of God.

derogatory

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Tending to derogate, or lessen in value of someone; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious.
  • * (rfdate) (Blackstone).
  • Acts of Parliament derogatory from the power of subsequent Parliaments bind not.
  • * (rfdate) (Macaulay).
  • His language was severely censured by some of his brother peers as derogatory to their other.
  • (legal) When referring to a clause in a testament: a sentence of secret character inserted by the testator alone, of which he reserves the knowledge to himself, with a condition that no will he may make thereafter shall be valid, unless this clause is inserted word for word; – a precaution to guard against later wills extorted by violence, or obtained by suggestion. (rfd-sense)
  • Usage notes

    In common language, particularly used in the phrase “derogatory term”, equivalent to less common pejorative, and in “derogatory statements”, equivalent to more casual offensive.

    Derived terms

    * derogatory clause/clause derogatory

    Noun

    (derogatories)
  • A trade-line on a credit report that includes negative credit history.
  • Synonyms

    * pejorative

    profane

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.
  • * Sir Walter Raleigh
  • Nothing is profane that serveth to holy things.
  • Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular.
  • * I. Disraeli
  • profane authors
  • * Gibbon
  • The profane wreath was suspended before the shrine.
  • Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; blasphemous, impious. Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a profane person, word, oath, or tongue.
  • a profane person, word, oath, or tongue
  • * Bible, 1 Timothy 1:9
  • Synonyms

    * (obscene) vulgar, inappropriate, obscene, debased, uncouth, offensive, ignoble, mean, lewd * secular * temporal * worldly * unsanctified * unhallowed * unholy * irreligious * irreverent * ungodly * wicked * godless * impious

    Antonyms

    * holy * sacred

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person or thing that is profane.
  • * 1796 , Matthew Lewis, The Monk , Folio Society 1985, p. 244:
  • The nuns were employed in religious duties established in honour of St Clare, and to which no profane was ever admitted.
  • (freemasonry) A person not a Mason.
  • Verb

    (profan)
  • To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to pollute; as, to profane the name of God; to profane the Scriptures, or the ordinance of God.
  • * 1851 ,
  • With one mind, their intent eyes all fastened upon the old man’s knife, as he carved the chief dish before him. I do not suppose that for the world they would have profaned that moment with the slightest observation, even upon so neutral a topic as the weather.
  • To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make a base employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile.
  • Antonyms

    * consecrate * sanctify