noun
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the quality, character, or state of being immoral
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immoral behaviour, esp in sexual matters; licentiousness; profligacy or promiscuity
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an immoral act
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of immorality
Explanation
Immorality is evil, sinful, or otherwise wrong behavior. Immorality is often called wickedness and is a state avoided by good people. Since morality refers to things that are right, immorality has to do with things that are wrong — like stealing, lying, and murdering. This is a tricky word, because people have their own idea of what's immoral. We can all agree killing is an example of immorality, but people disagree on whether things such as bad language are truly signs of immorality. Different religions have their own ideas of immorality too, but the word is always associated with wrongness and offensiveness.
Vocabulary lists containing immorality
Kindred
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Class Matters
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Speeches 2A
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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.
The bishops complained of immorality, but Heidegger remained philosophical.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Over the past few weeks, the Taliban government began severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces, saying this was part of an effort to prevent immorality.
From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025
The series, which ran from 1999 to 2006, depicted Washington as a place where despite the politicking and immorality, the Constitution prevailed.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2024
It’s all there in the Reuters reporting, and there is no need to expatiate on the obvious immorality of the operation, quite apart from its colossal stupidity.
From Salon • Aug. 3, 2024
The immorality of the bantustan policy, whereby 70 percent of the people would be apportioned only 13 percent of the land, was obvious.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
