original sin

American  

noun

1. Theology.

   1. a depravity, or tendency to evil, held to be innate in humankind and transmitted from Adam to all humans in consequence of his sin.

   2. inclination to evil, inherent in human nature.

2. Roman Catholic Theology. the privation of sanctifying grace in consequence of the sin of Adam.

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original sin British  

noun

1. a state of sin held to be innate in mankind as the descendants of Adam

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original sin ¹ Cultural  

1. The eating of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which led to their expulsion from Eden by God. In Christian theology, the act by which all humans fell from divine grace.

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original sin ² Cultural  

1. The sin of Adam and Eve, the essential event of the Fall of Man. According to the most common teaching of Christians (see also Christian), all descendants of Adam and Eve — that is, all people — share in this sin and are, from the time they are conceived, in a state of sin. In German, the term used is Erbsunde, meaning “inherited sin,” a more explanatory term than the English one. Jesus, through his Crucifixion and Resurrection, atoned for original sin. All who believe in Jesus and accept baptism are freed from original sin and experience salvation (see also salvation). (See justification by grace, through faith.)

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Etymology

Origin of original sin

1300–50; Middle English; translation of Medieval Latin peccātum orīgināle

Example Sentences

The invasion “was the original sin,” said Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank.

From New York Times

The United States made some terrible decisions after the original sin of the invasion.

From Washington Post

In Iran, the original sin remains the 1953 CIA-backed coup that toppled the country’s prime minister and cemented the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — lighting the long fuse for the Islamic Revolution.

From Seattle Times

For Season 4, we’re looking at the original sin of capitalism, which is the exploitation of free and cheap labor.

From Los Angeles Times

I welcome any effort we make as a country to acknowledge and account for the impact of our country’s original sins and to create space for celebration for those who survived them.

From Seattle Times