scandal

American  

[skan-dl] / ˈskæn dl /

noun

scandals plural

1. a disgraceful or discreditable action, circumstance, etc.

2. an offense caused by a fault or misdeed.

3. damage to reputation; public disgrace.

   Synonyms:

   ignominy, opprobrium, disrepute, shame, dishonor, discredit

4. defamatory talk; malicious gossip.

   Synonyms:

   obloquy, aspersion, calumny, slander

   Antonyms:

   praise, honor

5. a person whose conduct brings disgrace or offense.

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verb (used with object)

scandaled, scandaling, scandalled, scandalling

1. British Dialect. to defame (someone) by spreading scandal.

2. Obsolete. to disgrace.

scandal British  

/ ˈskændəl /

noun

1. a disgraceful action or event

   his negligence was a scandal

2. censure or outrage arising from an action or event

3. a person whose conduct causes reproach or disgrace

4. malicious talk, esp gossip about the private lives of other people

5. law a libellous action or statement

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verb

1. to disgrace

2. to scandalize

Synonym Usage

See gossip.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• miniscandal
  noun
• scandalousness
  noun
• superscandal
  noun
• scandalous
  adjective
• scandalously
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scandals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scandal

1175–1225; from Late Latin scandalum from Late Greek skándalon “snare, cause of moral stumbling”; replacing Middle English scandle from Old French (north) escandle from Late Latin, as above

Explanation

Scandal is disgraceful events or nasty gossip about people's private lives, like the scandal that erupted when you were seen at the mall with your best friend's girlfriend. Just because there's a scandal, it doesn't mean it's always true — being seen with your friend's girl? What the gossips didn't know it that you were buying his birthday present. Some scandals, though, involve public figures who have been found guilty. For example, if a politician is found guilty of taking bribes, that's a scandal that will rock your town, causing outrage not to mention the end of that politician's career.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scandal scandals

But she acknowledged the importance of an Indigenous candidate, four years after the audio leak scandal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

In 2018, Lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison over a massive corruption and bribery scandal, but was released after serving a little over 18 months.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The story journalists told about Mark Lamb’s victory Tuesday night was one of victory over scandal.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

That came on top of another scandal related to the online marking system of tests taken by nearly two million high school students.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Newsies have filled their papers, tattlers, and scandal sheets with Alfred's exploits—gambling losses and several marriages and expensive tastes.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Jackson, who campaigned heavily with Platner before the scandals, had the support of roughly 75 percent of the volunteers who rallied behind the now-disgraced former Senate candidate.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

What began as online outrage over exam scandals has snowballed into protests against India's education system, posing one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term in office.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Spahn is one of the most powerful figures in the CDU and has survived other political scandals - but this proved one too many for his party.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

The incident spurred Michigan to ask law firm Jenner & Block to investigate the culture inside an athletic department that had been embroiled in a string of scandals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

The recitation of these old scandals seemed to elate her as much as they horrified Doge.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• crime
• rumor
• wrongdoing