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vice

¹

[ vahys ]

/ vaɪs /

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See synonyms for: vice / viced / vices / vicing on Thesaurus.com

noun

an immoral or evil habit or practice: These biblical verses cover the vices of boastfulness and pride, miserliness, and hypocrisy.

immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior: In the Christian religion there are numerous instances of sudden conversions from a life of vice to one of virtue.

sexual immorality, especially prostitution.

a particular form of depravity.

a fault, defect, or shortcoming: a minor vice in his literary style.

(of a horse’s behavior) a bad habit: Allowing your horse turnout in a paddock may prevent vices such as weaving or wood chewing normally observed in a stall.

Sometimes Vice . vice squad: Detective Crockett was reassigned from the Robbery Division to Vice last year.

Vice, a character in the English morality plays, a personification of general vice or of a particular vice, serving as the buffoon.

Archaic. a physical defect, flaw, or infirmity: In most cases, attempts to relieve the symptoms will be of little avail without at the same time relieving or removing the constitutional vice which has induced this condition.

adjective

of or relating to the vice squad, or to the threats to public order it is tasked to police, such as gambling, pornography, prostitution, and narcotics: a vice cop;the vice division of the police department.

OTHER WORDS FOR vice

1 fault, wrongdoing, wrong, depravity.

2 immorality, sin, iniquity, wickedness, badness, corruptness, corruption.

3 wantonness, degeneracy, licentiousness.

5 stain, blemish, imperfection, flaw, foible, weakness.

See synonyms for vice on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR vice

1 virtue.

2 virtue, morality.

See antonyms for vice on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR VICE

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QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

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Origin of vice

¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin vitium “a fault, defect, vice”

synonym study for vice

See fault.

Words nearby vice

vicarious, vicariously, vicarly, Vicar of Bray, Vicar of Christ, vice, vice-admiral, vice-chairman, vice-chancellor, vice-consul, vice-county

Other definitions for vice (2 of 4)

vice²

[ vahys ]

/ vaɪs /

noun, verb (used with object), viced, vic·ing.

Other definitions for vice (3 of 4)

vice³

[ vahy-see, -suh, vahys ]

/ ˈvaɪ si, -sə, vaɪs /

preposition

instead of; in the place of: The committee was reorganized, with Mr. Silver, vice Mr. Cooper, as the head.

Origin of vice

³

First recorded in 1760–70; from Latin: literally, “instead of,” ablative of vicis (genitive; not attested in nominative) “recurring action, turn, interchange, alternation”

Other definitions for vice (4 of 4)

vice-

a combining form meaning “deputy,” used in the formation of compound words, usually titles of officials who serve in the absence of the official denoted by the base word: viceroy; vice-chancellor.

Origin of vice-

Middle English ≪ Latin vicevice³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use vice in a sentence

The vice president would sometimes dial her cellphone, Troye said.
Former Pence aide says she will vote for Biden because of Trump’s ‘flat out disregard for human life’ during pandemic|Josh Dawsey|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
“There was a lot of shifting around,” says Gary Davies, pro vice chancellor for student recruitment.
UK Universities Predicted a COVID-19 Crash. They Got the Opposite|Fiona Zublin|September 17, 2020|Ozy
If they can’t do it by January 20, then power goes to the vice president, who’s selected by a majority vote of senators.
Sunday Magazine: The Deciders|Daniel Malloy|September 13, 2020|Ozy
Last year, Apple tapped Sabih Khan, 54, as senior vice president of operations.
Apple’s leadership evolves ahead of a post-Tim Cook era|radmarya|September 12, 2020|Fortune

He named notorious homophobe Mike Pence as his vice president, who famously signed a bill as Indiana governor allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ customers.
Vote for Biden (duh)|Kevin Naff|September 10, 2020|Washington Blade
With Vice, that was an example of you keeping yourself interested too, right?
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
BEST ACTOR Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice There is no better actor—right now—than Joaquin Phoenix.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stanley Richards, Senior Vice President of the Fortune Society, gave a tour along with a few residents.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy, summed up the Southern attitude in his 1861 Cornerstone Speech.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We look for the qualities that are evocative of V.S.O.P Privilege,” explained Hennessy Senior Vice President Rodney Williams.
Streetwear pioneer, visionary entrepreneur, and community mentor Daymond John is honored with Hennessy Privilege Award|Hennessy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When we speak against one capital vice, we ought to speak against its opposite; the middle betwixt both is the point for virtue.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince's notions of virtue and vice were to be offered as a standard for all mankind.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
On the other hand, many men, by their own vice and intemperance, disqualify themselves for conversation.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
So the first question has been whether to reinforce Gaba Tepe from Helles or vice versa.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The chief official of the court is called a chancellor, the others vice chancellors.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for vice (1 of 5)

vice¹

/ (vaɪs) /

noun

an immoral, wicked, or evil habit, action, or trait

habitual or frequent indulgence in pernicious, immoral, or degrading practices

a specific form of pernicious conduct, esp prostitution or sexual perversion

a failing or imperfection in character, conduct, etcsmoking is his only vice

pathol obsolete any physical defect or imperfection

a bad trick or disposition, as of horses, dogs, etc

Derived forms of vice

viceless, adjective

Word Origin for vice

C13: via Old French from Latin vitium a defect

British Dictionary definitions for vice (2 of 5)

vice²

often US vise

/ (vaɪs) /

noun

an appliance for holding an object while work is done upon it, usually having a pair of jaws

verb

(tr) to grip (something) with or as if with a vice

Derived forms of vice

vicelike or US viselike, adjective

Word Origin for vice

C15: from Old French vis a screw, from Latin vītis vine, plant with spiralling tendrils (hence the later meaning)

British Dictionary definitions for vice (3 of 5)

vice³

/ (vaɪs) /

adjective

(prenominal) serving in the place of or as a deputy for
(in combination)viceroy

noun

informal a person who serves as a deputy to another

Word Origin for vice

C18: from Latin vice, from vicis interchange

British Dictionary definitions for vice (4 of 5)

vice⁴

/ (ˈvaɪsɪ) /

preposition

instead of; as a substitute for

Word Origin for vice

C16: from Latin, ablative of vicis change

British Dictionary definitions for vice (5 of 5)

Vice

/ (vaɪs) /

noun

(in English morality plays) a character personifying a particular vice or vice in general

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