actual sin

American  

noun

Theology.

1. any sin committed by an individual of their own free will, as contrasted with original sin.

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actual sin British  

noun

1. Christianity any sin that a person commits of his own free will and for which he is personally responsible Compare original sin

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Etymology

Origin of actual sin

First recorded in 1450–1500

Example Sentences

Between 1983 and 2013, Felton published more than a dozen books, with the collective message that clutter was, if not an actual sin, at least a failure of self-understanding.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 8, 2014

By the dogma of the immaculate conception, Roman Catholics regard the Virgin Mary as a unique human person, by virtue of being without original or actual sin.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Scripture also tells us that Jeremiah and John the Baptist were sanctified before their birth, or purified from sin, and, of course, at that period of their existence they were incapable of actual sin.

From The Faith of Our Fathers by Gibbons, James

Though the system may contain some good moral principles, yet it has no power to save men from sin, since it denies the existence of actual sin.

From The Revelation Explained by Smith, F. G. (Frederick George)

Where will persons go who—such as infants—have not committed actual sin and who, through no fault of theirs, die without baptism?

From Baltimore Catechism, No. 3 by Anonymous