noun
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lack of justice or righteousness; wickedness; injustice
-
a wicked act; sin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of iniquity
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin inīquitās “unevenness, unfairness,” from inīqu(us) “uneven, unfair” (from in- in- 3 + -īquus, combining form of aequus “even, plain, just”; see equal) + -itās -ity
Compare meaning
How does iniquity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An iniquity is a really unfair or really immoral act. If you're a journalist, you may uncover a terrible iniquity that forces a famous politician to step down. Iniquity comes from Latin, combining the prefix in-, “not,” and aequus, which means “equal” or “just.” So iniquity literally means “not just.” Iniquity can also be used to say that something lacks moral or spiritual principles. Some would call Las Vegas a “den of iniquity,” implying that sinful or wicked behavior occurs there. Others would just call it a vacation.
Vocabulary lists containing iniquity
The Crucible
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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Othello
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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.
See Examples For:
“This was not the den of iniquity that has been portrayed.”
From Seattle Times ● May 2, 2024
But through James’ point of view, it’s just another coming-of-age tale for a young white man who finds himself tickled and intrigued by this seeming den of artistic iniquity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
Germans reply that France is hardly in a position to give lessons about the iniquity of state aid.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2022
At the very end of this piece is the crux of humanity: The iniquity of everyone is going to be laid on this one person.
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2020
Despite Britain being the home of parliamentary democracy, it was that democracy that had helped inflict a pernicious system of iniquity on my people.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Referring to America’s Indigenous people, he added, “I apologize in advance if iniquities or injustices are committed.”
From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2023
The economic iniquities exposed by COVID-19 fueled calls for a new approach to the cycle of generational poverty.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 21, 2022
"Craig has occasionally been a divisive figure during this five movie stint, from his initial casting ... to his dour performance-style to his off-screen rants about the iniquities of the gig," he wrote.
From Reuters ● Sep. 29, 2021
In the Billboard interview, he used the analogy of buying a house to explain the iniquities of the music industry.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2020
I was in favor of this dramatic gesture, for it highlighted the iniquities of the State of Emergency.
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.
