sin

¹

[sin]

noun

1. transgression of divine law.

   the sin of Adam.

   Synonyms: violation, trespass, misdeed

2. any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.

   Synonyms: wickedness, wrong

3. any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense.

   It's a sin to waste time.

verb (used without object)

sinned, sinning 

1. to commit a sinful act.

   Synonyms: trespass, transgress

2. to offend against a principle, standard, etc.

verb (used with object)

sinned, sinning 

1. to commit or perform sinfully.

   He sinned his crimes without compunction.

2. to bring, drive, etc., by sinning.

   He sinned his soul to perdition.

sin

²

abbreviation

Trigonometry.

1. sine.

sin

³

[seen]

noun

1. the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

sīn

⁴

[seen]

noun

1. the 12th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Sin

⁵

[seen]

noun

1. the Akkadian god of the moon: the counterpart of the Sumerian Nanna.

sin

¹

/ siːn /

noun

1. a variant of shin, the 21st letter in the Hebrew alphabet (שׂ), transliterated as S See shin 2

sin

²

/ sɪn /

preposition

1. a Scot dialect word for since

sin

³

/ sɪn /

noun

1. theol

   1. transgression of God's known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying this

   2. the condition of estrangement from God arising from such transgression See also actual sin mortal sin original sin venial sin

2. any serious offence, as against a religious or moral principle

3. any offence against a principle or standard

4. informal,  (of an unmarried couple) to live together

verb

1. theol to commit a sin

2. (usually foll by against) to commit an offence (against a person, principle, etc)

sin

⁴

/ saɪn /

abbreviation

1. sine

SIN

⁵

abbreviation

1. social insurance number

sin

1. Abbreviation of sine

Other Word Forms

• sinlike adjective
• sinningly adverb
• sinningness noun
• unsinning adjective
• sinner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sin¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun sinne, sin(e), sen(ne), Old English syn(n) “moral or religious offense, misdeed”; akin to German Sünde, Old Norse synd, Latin sōns (inflectional stem sont- ) “guilty,” literally “that man being the one”; the verb is derivative of the noun; the Germanic and Latin forms all being present participle forms of the root es- “to be”; am ( def. )

Origin of sin²

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Hebrew śīn

Origin of sin³

From Arabic

Word History and Origins

Origin of sin¹

Old English synn; related to Old Norse synth, Old High German suntea sin, Latin sons guilty

Idioms and Phrases

see live in sin; more sinned against than sinning; multitude of sins; ugly as sin; wages of sin.

Synonym Study

See crime.

Example Sentences

“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” Rian Johnson’s darkest, funniest and best installment yet in his three-film detective series, takes place in a church stunned by two sins.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As Sook tells a shamed Buddy, “there is only one unpardonable sin—deliberate cruelty. All else can be forgiven.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That too many pardon the worst sins of the wealthiest evildoers is the fatal social flaw “The Beast in Me” observes with a piercing stare.

Read more on Salon

“Normally, I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do that,’” says Jackman, over Zoom from a New York hotel room, as if he’s confessing a mortal sin.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Perhaps the cardinal sin in Garten’s Thanksgiving guidebook is waiting until the very last minute to prepare and serve your Thanksgiving meal.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• crime 
• error 
• evil 
• fault 
• guilt 
• immorality 
• lust 
• misdeed 
• offense 
• shortcoming 
• transgression 
• violation 
• wrong 
• wrongdoing