perversity

American  

[per-vur-si-tee] / pərˈvɜr sɪ ti /

noun

• perversities
  plural

1. a willful tendency or determination to go counter to what is expected or desired, sometimes for no apparent reason; contrariness.

   On Thanksgiving, out of sheer perversity, he brought up a topic that was almost taboo for his family.

2. the quality of being, or having an effect, exactly contrary to what is expected or desired.

   The administration was slow to acknowledge the perversity of their welfare reform, which has given the underemployed an incentive to become unemployed.

3. persistence or obstinacy in what is wrong.

   She again rejected her parents' advice with self-defeating perversity.

4. a turning away from or rejection of thoughts and deeds one knows are right, good, or proper; wickedness or corruption.

   The preacher lamented the perversity of mankind that began in the Garden of Eden.

5. an instance of willful contrariety, obstinacy, or wickedness, or an outcome directly opposite to one’s intentions or expectations.

   One of the perversities of the system is that the worse one’s crime in one’s home country, the more likely one is to gain asylum.

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perversity British  

/ pəˈvɜːsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality or state of being perverse

2. a perverse action, comment, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonperversity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perversities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of perversity

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Old French perversité, from Latin perversitāt-, stem of perversitās “wrongheadedness, unreasonableness”; see origin at perverse, -ity

Explanation

When you choose to act in a way that's unreasonable, contrary, or just plain wrong, you're displaying perversity. Your perversity might lead you to throw your empty soda can on the ground instead of in the recycling bin. Being deliberately contrary — doing the opposite of what people expect or want you to do — is one characteristic of perversity. There's also a sense inherent in this word of acting strangely or deviantly. Your perversity might mean that your jokes tend to make everyone around you feel uncomfortable. The Latin root is perversus, "turned away, contrary, or askew."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perversity perversities

In written submissions, Christopher Newman, representing Lowe, said the "substantive claim to judicial review alleges procedural unfairness in the processes of ICGS, as well as perversity and illegality".

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026

“He spoke so fast that the amazing perversity of his arguments escaped undetected; what remains of them is a monument of ingenuity and insolence.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

“It is embarrassing that an athlete feels comfortable to commit such perversity as if all he achieved through sport will stop him from being punished.”

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

We weren’t going to get out of here without a Scandinavian mystery, and this one has the benefit of a strong female-led cast and an emphasis on human frailty rather than gritty perversity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2023

She comprehended the perversity of life, that in the struggle lies the joy.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

They were not civilized intellectuals “milking on their own perversities and brutalities.”

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2022

The story of Modigliani’s agonies gives rise to Becker’s own cri de coeur regarding the practical and commercial perversities that are inflicted upon artists.

From The New Yorker ● Aug. 1, 2018

Doing so would help tackle one of the perversities of the illegal timber trade: An abundance of stolen timber depresses prices, slashes margins and can deter investing in better due diligence of their wood supplies.

From Reuters ● Aug. 19, 2012

Ireland's record in Cardiff since they won the triple crown in the Welsh capital in 1985 is one of international rugby's perversities: nine victories, one draw and one defeat, in 2005.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 11, 2011

The perversities of Thurlow having led to his fall in 1792, Loughborough became Lord Chancellor.

From William Pitt and the Great War by John Holland Rose