vice

1
[ vahys ]
See synonyms for: vicevicedvicesvicing on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. an immoral or evil habit or practice: These biblical verses cover the vices of boastfulness and pride, miserliness, and hypocrisy.

  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.

  1. sexual immorality, especially prostitution.

  2. a particular form of depravity.

  3. a fault, defect, or shortcoming: a minor vice in his literary style.

  4. (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.

  5. Sometimes Vice . vice squad: Detective Crockett was reassigned from the Robbery Division to Vice last year.

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

  7. 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.

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: a vice cop;the vice division of the police department.

Origin of vice

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin vitium “a fault, defect, vice”

synonym study For vice

See fault.

Other words for vice

Opposites for vice

Words Nearby vice

Other definitions for vice (2 of 4)

vice2
[ vahys ]

noun, verb (used with object),viced, vic·ing.

Other definitions for vice (3 of 4)

vice3
[ vahy-see, -suh, vahys ]

preposition
  1. instead of; in the place of: The committee was reorganized, with Mr. Silver, vice Mr. Cooper, as the head.

Origin of vice

3
First recorded in 1760–70; from Latin: literally, “instead of,” ablative of vicis (genitive; not attested in nominative) “recurring action, turn, interchange, alternation”

Other definitions for vice- (4 of 4)

vice-

  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.

Origin of vice-

4
Middle English ≪ Latin vicevice3

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vice in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vice (1 of 5)

vice1

/ (vaɪs) /


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

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

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

  2. a failing or imperfection in character, conduct, etc: smoking is his only vice

  3. pathol obsolete any physical defect or imperfection

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

Origin of vice

1
C13: via Old French from Latin vitium a defect

Derived forms of vice

  • viceless, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for vice (2 of 5)

vice2

often US vise

/ (vaɪs) /


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

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

Origin of vice

2
C15: from Old French vis a screw, from Latin vītis vine, plant with spiralling tendrils (hence the later meaning)

Derived forms of vice

  • vicelike or US viselike, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for vice (3 of 5)

vice3

/ (vaɪs) /


adjective
    • (prenominal) serving in the place of or as a deputy for

    • (in combination): viceroy

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

Origin of vice

3
C18: from Latin vice, from vicis interchange

British Dictionary definitions for vice (4 of 5)

vice4

/ (ˈvaɪsɪ) /


preposition
  1. instead of; as a substitute for

Origin of vice

4
C16: from Latin, ablative of vicis change

British Dictionary definitions for Vice (5 of 5)

Vice

/ (vaɪs) /


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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012