Part 568

3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious. Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a profane person, word, oath, or tongue. 1 Tim. i. 9.

Syn. -- Secular; temporal; worldly; unsanctified; unhallowed; unholy; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; wicked; godless; impious. See Impious.

Pro*fane", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Profaned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Profaning.] [L. profanare: cf. F. profaner. See Profane, a.]

1. 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.

The priests in the temple profane the sabbath.

Matt. xii. 5.

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

So idly to profane the precious time.

Shak.

Pro*fane"ly, adv. In a profane manner.

The character of God profanely impeached.

Dr. T. Dwight.

Pro*fane"ness, n. The quality or state of being profane; especially, the use of profane language.

Pro*fan"er (?), n. One who treats sacred things with irreverence, or defiles what is holy; one who uses profane language. Hooker.

Pro*fan"i*ty (?), n. [L. profanitas.]

1. The quality or state of being profane; profaneness; irreverence; esp., the use of profane language; blasphemy.

2. That which is profane; profane language or acts.

The brisk interchange of profanity and folly.

Buckminster.

Pro*fec"tion (?), n. [See Proficient.] A setting out; a going forward; advance; progression. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Pro`fec*ti"tious (?), a. [L. profectitius, fr. proficisci to set out, proceed.] Proceeding from, as from a parent; derived, as from an ancestor. [R.]

The threefold distinction of profectitious, adventitious, and professional was ascertained.

Gibbon.

Pro"fert (?), n. [L., he brings forward, 3d pers. pr. of proferre. See Proffer. ] (Law) The exhibition or production of a record or paper in open court, or an allegation that it is in court.

Pro*fess" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Professed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Professing.] [F. profËs, masc., professe, fem., professed (monk or nun), L. professus, p. p. of profiteri to profess; pro before, forward + fateri to confess, own. See Confess.]

1. To make open declaration of, as of one's knowledge, belief, action, etc.; to avow or acknowledge; to confess publicly; to own or admit freely. "Hear me profess sincerely." Shak.

The best and wisest of them all professed To know this only, that he nothing knew.

Milton.