ˈblasfəmē, -laa-, -lai-, -mi noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English blasphemie, from Late Latin blasphemia, from Greek blasphēmia, from blasphēmos evil-speaking + -ia -y
1. : irreverence toward God
the crime of blasphemy in 17th century England was the crime of dissenting from whatever was the current religious dogma — T.C.Clark
a. Jewish law
(1) : the cursing or reviling of God or the king
(2) : the pronouncing of the forbidden name of God — compare tetragrammaton
b.
(1) : indignity offered to God in speaking, writing, or signs
blasphemy … is now an offense against the common law — R.C.Mortimer
(2) : the act of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of deity
for a mere man to suggest that he was both messiah and divine could only be viewed … as blasphemy — John Bright †1889
2. : irreverence toward something considered sacred or held in high regard
an outraged House of Commons officer sourly viewing the breach of precedent, muttered: “This is blasphemy ” — Time
Synonyms: see profanation