Meaning & use

deconsecrate

verb·Advanced

To formally remove the religious or sacred status of a building or site, typically before it is used for another purpose.

See it in a sentence

The old church was deconsecrated before being converted into apartments.

Local residents protested the plan to deconsecrate the historic chapel and sell the land.

A note on using this word

Deconsecrate is used specifically for formal religious buildings and ceremonies, not for general secular changes of use.

Words with a similar meaning

desanctify

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

consecrate

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