enormity

[ ih-nawr-mi-tee ]

/ ɪˈnɔr mɪ ti /

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See synonyms for enormity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural e·nor·mi·ties

outrageous or heinous character; atrociousness: the enormity of war crimes.

something outrageous or heinous, as an offense: The bombing of the defenseless population was an enormity beyond belief.

greatness of size, scope, extent, or influence; immensity:The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering.

OTHER WORDS FOR enormity

1 monstrousness, heinousness.

3 hugeness, vastness.

See synonyms for enormity on Thesaurus.com

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of enormity

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English enormite, from Middle French, from Latin ēnormitās; see enorm, -ty²

words often confused with enormity

3. 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.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH enormity

enormity , enormousness (see confusables note at the current entry)

Words nearby enormity

enolate, enolize, enology, enophile, enorm, enormity, enormous, enormousness, Enos, e-nose, enosis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use enormity in a sentence

Given the enormity of the task at hand, we need to function like an ecosystem, finding strength in our diversity.
The Climate Crisis Is a Call to Action. These 5 Steps Helped Me Figure Out How to Be of Use|Katharine Wilkinson|July 19, 2021|Time
One is the way that these enormous companies make the money, and then the enormity of these enormous companies.
Taxing digital advertising could help break up big tech|MIT Technology Review Insights|June 14, 2021|MIT Technology Review
When Gates directed his focus to philanthropy two decades ago, he also seized attention, wielding outsize influence in the areas where the foundation gives due to the enormity of his wealth.
When philanthropy’s power couple splits, Melinda French Gates’s influence could grow|Jay Greene|May 5, 2021|Washington Post
Progressives worry that neither proposal is ambitious enough to address the enormity of the problem.
Congress Is Considering 2 Plans to Get More Money to Parents. Here's How Each Would Work|Belinda Luscombe|February 12, 2021|Time

We’re not going to stop causing the enormity of harms we do to animals because we care about chickens and pigs—it’s going to be because we create a new technology that renders the current system obsolete.
Your first lab-grown burger is coming soon—and it’ll be “blended”|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
To look at her in tears was to behold the enormity of her loss.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was an objective test that, for the first time, let the enormity of the drug problem in America rear its ugly head.
Gov't Abandons Best Survey for Counting U.S. Drug Users|Abby Haglage|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A real-life drama proving the enormity of what just one bullet can do continued to unfold.
The Movie Murder 911 Tape: Victim’s Last Breaths, With Shooter Nearby|Michael Daly|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even if it was a crutch, the Biblical language in these older writings did justice to the enormity of the forces at play.
Polar Explorer vs. Reality TV Crew: Tim Jarvis in the Footsteps of Shackleton|Darrell Hartman|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And what better way to rally the troops (and they're all troops, in a pinch) than by pointing out the enormity of the enemy?
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un’s Game of Thrones|Kevin Bleyer|December 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She had called the culprit to her desk just before the noon recess and now showed her the enormity of her offenses.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
"Here, let go my hand," she added, suddenly conscious of the enormity John Sibley was committing by squeezing it now.
You Never Know Your Luck, Complete|Gilbert Parker
But the youth and inexperience of Riaro excused the enormity of a crime perpetrated under the sanction of the supreme pontiff.
Rule of the Monk|Giuseppe Garibaldi
It was marked in the circumstances and enormity of the crime, and marked in the subsequent good conduct of the prisoner.
Thoughts on Educational Topics and Institutions|George S. Boutwell
I know that is an enormity, but I heard the Major tell of currying horses once.
Wayside Courtships|Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for enormity

enormity

/ (ɪˈnɔːmɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the quality or character of being outrageous; extreme wickedness

an act of great wickedness; atrocity

informal vastness of size or extent

Word Origin for enormity

C15: from Old French enormite, from Late Latin ēnormitās hugeness; see enormous

usage for enormity

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)

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

enormity

OTHER WORDS FOR enormity

Origin of enormity

words often confused with enormity

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH enormity

Words nearby enormity

Words related to enormity

How to use enormity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for enormity

Word Origin for enormity

usage for enormity