deconsecrate
verb
de·con·se·crate
(ˌ)dē-ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌkrāt 
deconsecrated; deconsecrating; deconsecrates
: to remove the sacred character of
deconsecrate a church
Examples of deconsecrate in a Sentence
hoping to raise much-needed funds, the church elders deconsecrated the 18th-century silver chalice and consigned it to a high-end auction house
Recent Examples on the Web
But the seminal Spanish-language church was deconsecrated by the Archdiocese of New York in January, paving the way for its potential sale, alteration or demolition.
—
John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 2 June 2023
Perhaps the best thing would be to deconsecrate the site and create a museum that explains what happened at the Valley itself.
—The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019
The church was deconsecrated in 2010, and the charter school arrived in 2013.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2019
In late July, about 70 former members were drawn back to the synagogue for a service to deconsecrate the synagogue.
—Karen Berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Whether a gutted and deconsecrated former church building fits the definition remains to be seen.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 3 June 2019
There is no single answer, but protest, not piety, seems to be a recurring theme—whether or not the venue is deconsecrated.
—Vogue, 24 Apr. 2018
The archdiocese, which had been bent on leveling the deconsecrated building, then reversed course and found a developer willing to convert the 19th century Polish church into apartments.
—Inga Saffron, Philly.com, 22 Mar. 2018
Under canon law, a church cannot serve secular purposes, like a restaurant, without first being relegated, or deconsecrated.
—Jordan Otero Sisson, Courant Community, 25 Aug. 2017
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John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 2 June 2023
Perhaps the best thing would be to deconsecrate the site and create a museum that explains what happened at the Valley itself.
—The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019
The church was deconsecrated in 2010, and the charter school arrived in 2013.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2019
In late July, about 70 former members were drawn back to the synagogue for a service to deconsecrate the synagogue.
—Karen Berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Whether a gutted and deconsecrated former church building fits the definition remains to be seen.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 3 June 2019
There is no single answer, but protest, not piety, seems to be a recurring theme—whether or not the venue is deconsecrated.
—Vogue, 24 Apr. 2018
The archdiocese, which had been bent on leveling the deconsecrated building, then reversed course and found a developer willing to convert the 19th century Polish church into apartments.
—Inga Saffron, Philly.com, 22 Mar. 2018
Under canon law, a church cannot serve secular purposes, like a restaurant, without first being relegated, or deconsecrated.
—Jordan Otero Sisson, Courant Community, 25 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Deconsecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deconsecrate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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