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nefarious

[ ni-fair-ee-uhs ]
/ nɪˈfɛər i əs /
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See synonyms for: nefarious / nefariousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.
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Origin of nefarious

1595–1605; <Latin nefārius wicked, vile, equivalent to nefās offense against divine or moral law (ne- negative prefix + fās law, right) + -ius-ious, with intervocalic s>r

OTHER WORDS FROM nefarious

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

How to use nefarious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nefarious

nefarious
/ (nɪˈfɛərɪəs) /

adjective
evil; wicked; sinful

Derived forms of nefarious

nefariously, adverbnefariousness, noun

Word Origin for nefarious

C17: from Latin nefārius, from nefās unlawful deed, from not + fās divine law
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
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