vice

¹ American  

[vahys] / vaɪs /

noun

1. an immoral or evil habit or practice.

   These biblical verses cover the vices of boastfulness and pride, miserliness, and hypocrisy.

   Synonyms:

   depravity, wrong, wrongdoing, fault

   Antonyms:

   virtue

2. immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior.

   In the Christian religion there are numerous instances of sudden conversions from a life of vice to one of virtue.

   Synonyms:

   corruption, corruptness, badness, wickedness, iniquity, sin, immorality

   Antonyms:

   morality, virtue

3. sexual immorality, especially prostitution.

   Synonyms:

   licentiousness, degeneracy, wantonness

4. a particular form of depravity.

5. a fault, defect, or shortcoming.

   a minor vice in his literary style.

   Synonyms:

   weakness, foible, flaw, imperfection, blemish, stain

6. (of a horse’s behavior) a bad habit.

   Allowing your horse turnout in a paddock may prevent vices such as weaving or wood chewing normally observed in a stall.

7. Sometimes Vice vice squad.

   Detective Crockett was reassigned from the Robbery Division to Vice last year.

8. Vice, a character in the English morality plays, a personification of general vice or of a particular vice, serving as the buffoon.

9. Archaic. a physical defect, flaw, or infirmity.

   In most cases, attempts to relieve the symptoms will be of little avail without at the same time relieving or removing the constitutional vice which has induced this condition.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the vice squad, or to the threats to public order it is tasked to police, such as gambling, pornography, prostitution, and narcotics: the vice division of the police department.

   a vice cop;

   the vice division of the police department.

vice ² American  

[vahys] / vaɪs /

noun

viced, vicing

1. vise.

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vice ³ American  

[vahy-see, -suh, vahys] / ˈvaɪ si, -sə, vaɪs /

preposition

1. instead of; in the place of.

   The committee was reorganized, with Mr. Silver, vice Mr. Cooper, as the head.

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vice- ⁴ American  

1. a combining form meaning “deputy,” used in the formation of compound words, usually titles of officials who serve in the absence of the official denoted by the base word.

   viceroy; vice-chancellor.

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vice ¹ British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. an immoral, wicked, or evil habit, action, or trait

2. habitual or frequent indulgence in pernicious, immoral, or degrading practices

3. a specific form of pernicious conduct, esp prostitution or sexual perversion

4. a failing or imperfection in character, conduct, etc

   smoking is his only vice

5. obsolete pathol any physical defect or imperfection

6. a bad trick or disposition, as of horses, dogs, etc

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vice ² British  

/ vaɪs /

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) serving in the place of or as a deputy for

   2. ( in combination )

      viceroy

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noun

1. informal a person who serves as a deputy to another

vice ³ British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. an appliance for holding an object while work is done upon it, usually having a pair of jaws

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verb

1. (tr) to grip (something) with or as if with a vice

Vice ⁴ British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. (in English morality plays) a character personifying a particular vice or vice in general

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vice ⁵ British  

/ ˈvaɪsɪ /

preposition

1. instead of; as a substitute for

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Related Words

See fault.

Other Word Forms

• viceless adjective
• vicelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of vice¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin vitium “a fault, defect, vice”

Origin of vice³

First recorded in 1760–70; from Latin: literally, “instead of,” ablative of vicis (genitive; not attested in nominative) “recurring action, turn, interchange, alternation”

Origin of vice-⁴

Middle English ≪ Latin vice vice ³

Example Sentences

As part of those probes, the defence ministry expelled two top generals from the military, He Weidong, the former second-ranked CMC vice chairman, and Miao Hua, the former head of the military's political work department.

From Barron's

It’s still wise for a borrower to evaluate their best-, worst-, and base-case scenarios before taking out an ARM, says Keith Gumbinger, the vice president of mortgage information website HSH.com External link.

From Barron's

Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, said international issues are important for U.S. shippers, but so too are ongoing commercial challenges.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kevin Couch was announced on January 16 as the center's new senior vice president of artistic planning.

From Barron's

In a statement, lawyers for the vice president said they were confident the accusations would be proven baseless.

From Barron's