nefarious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of nefarious
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin nefārius “wicked, vile,” equivalent to nefās “offense against divine or moral law” (from ne-, negative prefix + fās “law, right”) + -ius -ious
Explanation
Describe a person's actions as nefarious if they are evil or wicked. Batman and Superman are always fighting evildoers and stopping their nefarious plots. Nefarious comes from the Latin nefas "crime, impiety." If something is nefarious, it is criminal, evil, malicious and wicked. Thinking of superheroes can help you remember the meaning of the word, but it is often used in much less exciting circumstances. News reporters investigate corrupt politicians in order to uncover the nefarious activities. And, if you don't pay for your downloaded music, you have gotten it by nefarious means.
Vocabulary lists containing nefarious
Grade 9, List 4
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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.
State officials in both cases have explained the true causes of the issues and that nothing nefarious was behind them.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
Rico’s assistance comes at a price: Kendal must assist a fledgling agent who’s infiltrated a secretive and seemingly nefarious tech company.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
He denied witnessing any nefarious conduct and said he had very limited interactions with Epstein.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
By August, when Tzagournis’ daughter first saw it at a friend’s house, the movie about three glamorous K-pop stars doubling as brave warriors to defeat nefarious demons had become Netflix’s most-watched movie ever.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
Doug Swieteck’s brother, wouldn’t even come near me, and I would foil Mrs. Baker’s nefarious plan.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
