total depravity

American  

noun

1. the Calvinist doctrine that humankind's entire nature, including its reason, is corrupt or sinful as a result of the Fall and that people are therefore completely dependent on God for regeneration.

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total depravity British  

noun

1. Calvinist the doctrine that man's nature is totally corrupt as a result of the Fall

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Etymology

Origin of total depravity

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

It’s just hard to believe that it steered a slightly crooked, often endearing and largehearted man into total depravity.

From New York Times

Lingan added, “It’s about greed. It’s about anger. It’s about torture. And it’s about total depravity.”

From Washington Post

Indeed, the doctrine of total depravity was invented by the priests to create a demand for the offices of the church.

From Project Gutenberg

But the earlier Fathers did not connect the notion of the vicarious atonement with that of original sin and total depravity.

From Project Gutenberg

He can never resist the temptation to draw a moral, and his dogmatic bias in favor of the doctrine of total depravity is only too evident.

From Project Gutenberg