impiety

[US]/ɪmˈpaɪəti/
[UK]/ɪmˈpaɪəti/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

n. lack of reverence; lack of respect; lack of faith; lack of belief.

Example Sentences

committing impiety towards the gods

avoid impiety in religious practices

impiety towards one's ancestors

accused of impiety towards the state

impiety in the form of sacrilege

punished for impiety towards the king

avoiding impiety in rituals

Real-world Examples

Our sacred lords saw the impiety of that proceeding, and very justly impaled the man who imitated heavenly powers.

Source: American Original Language Arts Volume 5

Asclepius was a gifted healer, too gifted perhaps, and he was killed by Zeus for the impiety of raising the dead.

Source: 2023-37

She knew that many coloured children use impieties familiarly, and she was not startled. She was disturbed, however, by an unfavourable hint in the speaker's tone.

Source: Lonely Heart (Part 1)

Still thou dost punish these sins which men commit against themselves because, even when they sin against thee, they are also committing impiety against their own souls.

Source: Volume Three of the Confessions

That injustice is impiety, and indeed the supreme impiety, I will hold with my last breath; but it were the merest affectation of a noble sentiment if I supported my faith by such a reasoning.

Source: Essays on the Four Seasons

For a moment amazement held the Domina silent and immoveable: But no sooner did She recover herself, than She exclaimed against sacrilege and impiety, and called the People to rescue a Daughter of the Church.

Source: Monk (Part 2)

'Admirable! ' cried Cunegonda in a voice shrill with passion, while Agnes uttered a loud shriek; 'By St. Barbara, young Lady, you have an excellent invention! You must personate the Bleeding Nun, truly? What impiety! What incredulity!

Source: Monk (Part 1)

One can find modern echoes of this view in Schelling, where Euripides is seen as a decadent poet who committed sacrilege with the myths and the use of the deus ex machina is evidence of his impiety.

Source: Simon Critchley - Tragedy the Greeks and Us

" But let him alone for a time, " he said, " only pray God for him. He will of his own accord, by reading, come to discover what an error it is and how great its impiety is."

Source: Volume Three of the Confessions

In any case, Constantine did his bit to remove  the empire's impiety and unify the state through Christianity. Crucifixion, sexual  immorality, prostitution, pagan sacrifice, and gladiatorial shows were all abolished. He also  glorified Christianity through his building works.

Source: Charming history

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