profane
/pɹəˈfeɪn/adjective, noun, verb
profane is spelled P-R-O-F-A-N-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,418th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, profane means “Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in profane?
| Letters | 7: P-R-O-F-A-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,418th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is profane?
Profane appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,418th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce profane?
- UK /pɹəˈfeɪn/
- US /pɹəˈfeɪn/
- US /pɹoʊˈfeɪn/
Profane has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-profane.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with profane?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as profane from its last stressed vowel (/eɪn/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of profane
- profaner comparative
- more profane comparative
- profanest superlative
- most profane superlative
- profanes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- profaning participle, present
- profaned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does profane mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Unclean; ritually impure; unholy, desecrating a holy place or thing.
- 2
Not sacred or holy, unconsecrated; relating to non-religious matters, secular.
profane authors
- 3
Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or scorn; blasphemous, impious.
- 4
Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain.
a profane person, word, oath, or tongue
noun
- 1
A person or thing that is profane.
- 2
A person not a Mason.
verb
- 1
To violate (something sacred); to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate
One should not profane the name of God.
- 2
To put to a wrong or unworthy use; to debase; to abuse; to defile.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Profane in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | impur, profane, sale , sacrilège , profaner |
| Spanish | sacrílego , profanar , profano , blasfemo |
| German | weltlich |
| Portuguese | profano |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does profane come from?
From Middle English prophane, from Middle French profane, prophaine, prophane and its etymon Classical Latin profānus (“not religious, unclean”) (also Late Latin prophānus), from pro- (“instead of”) + fānum (“temple”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).