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

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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

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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

The gang steals sacred objects, but their movements around them can resemble ceremony not desecration.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
These are two examples of politicians' truths among a plethora of others that are really lies, distortions, deceptions and desecrations of the citizens' trust in them.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of desecration

Noun

Repairs to a broken water main near Atlanta's Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plant are complete, but residents and businesses in the affected area must continue boiling tap water while officials check the system for possible contamination.

— CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Under that time pressure, the team had to carefully handle the precious DNA to prevent the risk of contamination on their descent.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of contamination

Noun

And unlike state authorities who can be sued for civil rights violations in state courts, federal law enforcement authorities are generally shielded from such lawsuits based on legal precedents.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Chicago should provide workable loading zones, preserve first-offense warnings, and publicly report whether violations and crashes actually decline.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of violation

Noun

The upscale outdoor mall survived the Palisades fire, but needed refurbishment to eliminate any potential contaminants from the blaze.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The property invested in a water and sewage plant that ensures no contaminants enter the ocean, plus gives detailed training to all staff on sustainability practices.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of contaminant

Noun

Or a plot to divert attention from Murphy’s blasphemy of her famously lucky number 13?

— Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
That might have sounded like blasphemy just half a decade ago, but college football is always evolving, and Swinney is a man stuck in time.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of blasphemy

Noun

The city said in a statement that the concentration of pollutants averaged 196 micrograms per cubic meter, which is considered an unhealthy level way above the normal range of about 3 to 9.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
If approved, the permit will also require monitoring of the water flow, temperature, present or expected pollutants in the sourcewater, expected pollutants in the wastewater, and additional pollutants associated with steam electric power generation.

— Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of pollutant

Noun

Talarico’s success so far can partly be chalked up to voters’ apprehensions toward Paxton, who faced questions in his past over corruption, including being impeached by his own party in the Texas legislature.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Blagojevich was impeached, removed from office by a unanimous 59-0 Illinois Senate vote and convicted of federal corruption offenses.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of corruption

Noun

Advertisement To the Eagle Family, these scenes were sacrilege.

— Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
While this might seem like capitalist sacrilege, Gearin says there’s historical precedent for Indigenous peoples using plant medicine as a tool to navigate the practical demands of the world.

— Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of sacrilege

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“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defilement

noun

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