DEFILEMENT Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

defilement

noun

Definition of defilement

as in desecration

an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things for two centuries the Christian monasteries in England suffered defilements at the hands of Viking invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in contamination

something that is or that makes impure souvenir shops, observation towers, and other tacky defilements on Civil War battlefields that should be considered hallowed ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of defilement In this way, Lapid keeps the emotional aspect of Y’s self-defilement at the forefront of the drama. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement

Noun

When Debbie, Susan, and Thom come over for a double-date pizza night, only Bret is concerned about the spate of recent home invasions, the missing pets, and the desecration of the griffin mascot.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
He was convicted of offenses including desecration of national symbols, contempt and public disorder, and spent five years in the Guanajay prison near Havana.

— Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026

Definition of desecration

Noun

About 15 percent of a subset of the products tested contained measurable levels of endotoxin, a sign of bacterial contamination during manufacture.

— Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
The researchers hope that in the future it will be used to identify counterfeit perfumes, detect pesticide contamination in olive oil, and offer better quality control across agriculture in general.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of contamination

Noun

If Paul Baker wins, Nina will report the zoning violation that is their household.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Other alleged violations — which total 23 in all — range from not having any smoke or carbon monoxide detectors throughout the property to failing to maintain the building in a structurally safe and stable condition.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of violation

Noun

As catastrophic as the fires were for those who lost everything, people whose homes remain standing have been exasperated by insurance company refusals to cover the removal of lingering hazardous contaminants.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
That’s in part due to their handling of homes requiring cleaning due to smoke and other contaminants caused by the fires.

— Paris Barraza, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of contaminant

Noun

Facilities would have to be on land zoned for heavy industrial use and could not be located near disadvantaged communities or populations sensitive to pollutants, such as hospitals, schools and nursing homes.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Ancient rock art at Murujuga, or the Burrup Peninsula, in Western Australia, has seen much larger damaged than previously anticipated due to industrial pollutants found in air emissions.

— Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pollutant

Noun

Democrats avoid division The Democrats’ corruption talk of 2026 checks all of these boxes.

— Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
The limited testimony that led to the grand jury’s decision not to bring criminal charges reveals a larger culture of secrecy and corruption in Tallahassee, said José Javier Rodríguez, the Democrat running to unseat Uthmeier in November.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of corruption

Noun

To refer to the Manhattanite rock quintet as third best in any context feels like music sacrilege.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Filming a talk show on a moving train brings its own set of audio and visual problems, but making this show any other way would be sacrilege.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of sacrilege

Browse Nearby Words

defiled

defilement

defilements

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of defilement

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes