IMMORALITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does immorality mean? 

• IMMORALITY (noun)
  The noun IMMORALITY has 2 senses:

1. the quality of not being in accord with standards of right or good conduct

2. morally objectionable behavior

  Familiarity information: IMMORALITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMMORALITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of not being in accord with standards of right or good conduct

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the immorality of basing the defense of the West on the threat of mutual assured destruction

Hypernyms ("immorality" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "immorality"):

unrighteousness (failure to adhere to moral principles)

corruption; degeneracy; depravation; depravity; putrefaction (moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles)

corruptibility (the capability of being corrupted)

licentiousness; wantonness (the quality of being lewd and lascivious)

anomie; anomy (lack of moral standards in a society)

wrongness (contrary to conscience or morality)

evil; evilness (the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice)

Antonym:

morality (concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct)

Derivation:

immoral (deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong)

immoral (not adhering to ethical or moral principles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Morally objectionable behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

evil; immorality; iniquity; wickedness

Hypernyms ("immorality" is a kind of...):

evildoing; transgression (the act of transgressing; the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "immorality"):

devilry; deviltry (wicked and cruel behavior)

foul play (unfair or dishonest behavior (especially involving violence))

irreverence; violation (a disrespectful act)

sexual immorality (the evil ascribed to sexual acts that violate social conventions)

 Context examples 

She was born in a rural district of England, where life proceeds by rule of thumb and the unexpected is so very unexpected that when it happens it is looked upon as an immorality.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)