English → Latin
“desecrate” in Latin
profānōto offer (in front of a temple, shrine, etc.); to desecrate, profane; to violate, polluteexaugurōto deconsecrate; to profane, to desecratepolluōto soil, defile, pollute, stain, foul; to contaminate, violate, dishonor, desecrate, pollute, defilemaculōto stain, make spotted; to defile, pollute; to dishonorviolōto treat with violence; to maltreat; to violate, defile, profane, rape
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
desecrate
profanare; profanum facere (in the Golden Age, only to make what is divine, human; what is holy, common; opposed to sacrum esse velle; by later writers it is used especially for “to violate’): exaugurare (to desecrate what has been consecrated, by bringing it again into common use, opposed to inaugurare; Vid: Liv., 1, 55): polluere; maculare (to desecrate what is pure and holy by a shameful act): violare (not to respect its sanctity; e.g., loca religiosa) ☞ Not the post-Augustan, desacrare, which = CONSACRARE.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for desecrate?
- The usual Latin words for “desecrate” are profānō, exaugurō, polluō; also maculō, violō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.