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Profane vs Obscene - What's the difference?

profane | obscene |

Obscene is a synonym of profane.



As adjectives the difference between profane and obscene

is that profane is unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing while obscene is offensive to current standards of decency or morality.

As a noun 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.

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

    Related terms

    * profanation * profanity English transitive verbs ----

    obscene

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Offensive to current standards of decency or morality
  • Lewd or lustful
  • Disgusting or repulsive
  • Beyond all reason
  • Liable to deprave or corrupt

    • Usage notes

    * The comparative obscener and superlative obscenest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscene' and ' most obscene .