Defilement
/dɪˈfaɪlmənt/noun
The act of making something dirty or unclean, especially in a moral or spiritual sense.
Did you know?In ancient cultures, the act of defilement was often linked to the breaking of sacred oaths, invoking curses or divine retribution.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dhei-
“to put, to place, to set”
Latin
Latin
defilare
“to make foul, to dirty, to stain”
Old French
Old French
defiler
“to defile, to make impure”
14th Century
Middle English
defilement
“the state of being made impure or unclean, especially morally”
Modern English
English
defilement
“the act or process of making something defiled or impure, especially in a spiritual sense.”