Definition

To take away the holy or sacred status from something.

Example

The church decided to desanctify the old building that was no longer used for worship.

Tense Forms

Conversation

I heard they plan to desanctify that old church next month.

Really? That's surprising; it has such a rich history.

I know! It feels wrong to just remove its sacred status like that.

Yeah, some places should just be left alone for their cultural significance.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Desanctify → It is formed from "de-" (meaning down or away from) and "sanctus" (meaning holy or sacred). The word describes the act of removing the sacredness or holiness from something.

Memory Tip

Think of 'removing' ('de-') the 'holiness' ('sanctus') from something — that's what desanctify means.

Visually Confused Words