Holy vs. Profane — What's the Difference?

Dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred

Marked by contempt or irreverence for what is sacred.

Used in exclamations of surprise or dismay

Nonreligious in subject matter, form, or use; secular

Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred.

Not admitted into a body of secret knowledge or ritual; uninitiated.

Regarded with veneration or specified for a religious purpose

Vulgar; coarse.

Living or undertaken with highly moral or spiritual purpose; saintly

To treat with irreverence

Regarded as deserving special respect or reverence

To put to an improper, unworthy, or degrading use; abuse.

(Informal) Used as an intensive

Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.

Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.

Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular.

Revered in a religion.

Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or scorn; blasphemous, impious.

Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.

Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain

Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).

A person or thing that is profane.

Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.

(freemasonry) A person not a Mason.

(slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.

(transitive) To violate (something sacred); to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate

(slang) An expression of astonishment and awe.

(transitive) To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to debase; to abuse; to defile.

(archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.

Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity; unconsecrated; hence, relating to matters other than sacred; secular; - opposed to sacred, religious, or inspired; as, a profane place.

Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood.

Unclean; impure; polluted; unholy.

Spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God.

Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious.

A sacred place of pilgrimage

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.

Belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power

To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to make a base employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile.

Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality;

Violate the sacred character of a place or language;

Characterized by profanity or cursing;

Not sacred or concerned with religion;

Not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled

Grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred;