impiety

noun

im·​pi·​e·​ty (ˌ)im-ˈpī-ə-tē How to pronounce impiety (audio)
plural impieties
1
: the quality or state of being impious : irreverence
2
: an impious act

Examples of impiety in a Sentence

the unspeakable impiety of spitting in a church
Recent Examples on the Web The impieties are to be taken as possibilities, not as actual truths. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 Yet impieties are explosive, which may explain why comic careers oscillate between in and out, as with those of Lenny Bruce and Andrew Dice Clay—one going from sick to saintly, the other from provocatively transgressive to vehemently taboo, in short order. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 If Socrates were still around (Letters, Nov. 3), he wouldn’t be canceled for impiety and corrupting the youth. Stephen Borkowski, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2023 Asclepius was a gifted healer, too gifted perhaps, and he was killed by Zeus for the impiety of raising the dead. Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023 Such impiety led the tsar’s censors to ban many of Afanasyev’s tales. Stephen Pimenoff, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021 His fellow Athenians, led by an up-and-coming politician named Meletus, charged him with impiety and corrupting the youth. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2022 After being found guilty of impiety and the corruption of youth, Greek philosopher Socrates is ordered to drink a fatal dose of hemlock. Norman Vanamee, Town & Country, 29 Mar. 2022 She was known for making provocative statements in class, such as dismissing as a political stunt Socrates’ famous apology at his trial for impiety and corruption. Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impiety.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impiety was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near impiety

Cite this Entry

“Impiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impiety. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impiety

noun
im·​pi·​ety
(ˈ)im-ˈpī-ət-ē
plural impieties
1
: the quality or state of being impious
2
: an impious act

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