enormity

American  

[ih-nawr-mi-tee] / ɪˈnɔr mɪ ti /

noun

plural

enormities

1. outrageous or heinous character; atrociousness.

   the enormity of war crimes.

   Synonyms:

   heinousness, monstrousness

2. something outrageous or heinous, as an offense.

   The bombing of the defenseless population was an enormity beyond belief.

3. greatness of size, scope, extent, or influence; immensity.

   The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering.

   Synonyms:

   vastness, hugeness

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enormity British  

/ ɪˈnɔːmɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality or character of being outrageous; extreme wickedness

2. an act of great wickedness; atrocity

3. informal vastness of size or extent

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Usage

In modern English, it is common to talk about the enormity of something such as a task or a problem, but one should not talk about the enormity of an object or area: distribution is a problem because of India's enormous size (not India's enormity )

Commonly Confused

Enormity has been in frequent and continuous use in the sense “immensity” since the 18th century: The enormity of the task was overwhelming. Some hold that enormousness is the correct word in that sense and that enormity can only mean “outrageousness” or “atrociousness”: The enormity of his offenses appalled the public. Enormity occurs regularly in edited writing with the meanings both of great size and of outrageous or horrifying character, behavior, etc. Many people, however, continue to regard enormity in the sense of great size as nonstandard.

Etymology

Origin of enormity

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English enormite, from Middle French, from Latin ēnormitās; see enorm, -ty ²

Explanation

An enormity is something extreme or huge, almost beyond comprehension. If you call having to paint the house all by yourself an enormity, your friends might take pity on you and show up with brushes and rollers. Something that's enormous can be good — a huge paycheck! — or bad, such as a tumor. But when it comes to enormity, some word lovers are up in arms. The word originally meant "a crime," so some people think it should only be used to describe wickedness or lack of morals. Others can't resist the word's similarity to enormous and apply it to anything vast, positive or negative.

Example Sentences

Aside from the enormity of the amount proposed, defense budgets are as susceptible to leakage as any government-funded program.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

But despite the "enormity" of goodwill witnessed "in the city and beyond", Fr Gormley said Amy's loved ones are struggling to come to terms with "the reality of what has happened".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

"Instead of being dumbstruck by the enormity of it, we can actually make progress toward an answer about why we're here in the universe."

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Also notice that the true enormity of Africa comes across on this map.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026

It stood, in profile, wide open, in all its black, Steinway enormity, opposite the couch, its bench almost directly across from Franny.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• greatness
• immensity
• magnitude
• vastness