nefarious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nefariously adverb
- nefariousness noun
- unnefarious adjective
- unnefariously adverb
- unnefariousness noun
Etymology
Origin of nefarious
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin nefārius “wicked, vile,” equivalent to nefās “offense against divine or moral law” (from ne-, negative prefix + fās “law, right”) + -ius -ious
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the tanker had "a pretty nefarious history" and the UK "provided enabling support to the United States".
From BBC
“If they repeat this, it does raise the question of whether this is a legitimate change in registry, or if it appears to be done for nefarious reasons.”
To mitigate the risk of their systems being used for nefarious purposes, companies deploy numerous safeguards.
From BBC
His allegedly nefarious acts include writing an op-ed for this newspaper and knowing our editorial writers.
What you see as nefarious he may regard as a welcome respite to months of unwelcome change.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
