sin

[ sin ]

See synonyms for sin on Thesaurus.com

noun

transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.
any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.

any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense: It's a sin to waste time.

verb (used without object),sinned, sin·ning.

to commit a sinful act.
to offend against a principle, standard, etc.

verb (used with object),sinned, sin·ning.

to commit or perform sinfully: He sinned his crimes without compunction.
to bring, drive, etc., by sinning: He sinned his soul to perdition.

Origin of sin

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”; see origin at am

synonym study For sin

1, 2. See crime.

Other words for sin

1	misdeed, trespass, violation
2	wrong, wickedness
4	transgress, trespass

See synonyms for sin on Thesaurus.com

Other words from sin

sinlike, adjective
sin·ning·ly, adverb
sin·ning·ness, noun
un·sin·ning, adjective

Other definitions for sin (2 of 5)

sin²

[ seen ]

noun

the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
the consonant sound represented by this letter.

Origin of sin

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Hebrew śīn

Other definitions for sin (3 of 5)

sin

abbreviationTrigonometry.

sine (def. 1b).

Other definitions for Sin (4 of 5)

Sin

[ seen ]

noun

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

Other definitions for sīn (5 of 5)

sīn

[ seen ]

noun

the 12th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Origin of sīn

⁵

From Arabic

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

How to use sin in a sentence

My understanding was that according to most Christian beliefs, being trans or gay was a sin, cut and dry.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen | Parker Molloy | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
But the greatest sin of all for Francis is perhaps that of careerism, chiding those who honor people rather than God.
Pope Francis Denounces the Vatican Elite’s 'Spiritual Alzheimer’s' | Barbie Latza Nadeau | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“Light trumps darkness, hope beats despair, grace wins over sin, love defeats hate, life conquers death,” the cardinal said.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Essentially, Pope Francis is urging Christians to “love the sinner, but hate the sin.”
Is Pope Francis Backpedaling on Gays? | Jay Michaelson | November 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In March 2013 in Washington, D.C., Seth Bender got in the Uber he ordered and shortly thereafter committed the sin of burping.
The Ten Worst Uber Horror Stories | Olivia Nuzzi | November 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
But if God made man, then God is responsible for all man's acts and thoughts, and therefore man cannot sin against God.
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
Because if that was to atone for man's sin, it was needless, as God could have forgiven man without Himself suffering.
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
Their sin began on Holy Thursday, with so little secrecy and so bad an example, that the affair was beginning to leak out.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624 | Various
Man's enthusiasm in praise of a fellow mortal, is soon damped by the original sin of his nature—rebellious pride!
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for sin (1 of 5)

sin¹

/ (sɪn) /

noun

theol
- transgression of God's known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying this
- the condition of estrangement from God arising from such transgression: See also actual sin, mortal sin, original sin, venial sin
any serious offence, as against a religious or moral principle

any offence against a principle or standard
live in sin informal (of an unmarried couple) to live together

verbsins, sinning or sinned (intr)

theol to commit a sin
(usually foll by against) to commit an offence (against a person, principle, etc)

Origin of sin

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

Derived forms of sin

sinner, noun

British Dictionary definitions for sin (2 of 5)

sin²

/ (sɪn) /

preposition, conjunction, adverb

a Scot dialect word for since

British Dictionary definitions for sin (3 of 5)

sin³

/ (siːn) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for sin (4 of 5)

sin⁴

/ (saɪn) maths /

abbreviation for

sine

British Dictionary definitions for SIN (5 of 5)

SIN

abbreviation for(in Canada)

social insurance number

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

Scientific definitions for sin

sin

Abbreviation of sine

Other Idioms and Phrases with sin

sin

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

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