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• vice
  vice

  noun

  an immoral or evil habit or practice.
• vice-
  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.
• Vice
  Vice

  noun

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

vice

¹ American  

[vahys] / vaɪs /

noun

1. an immoral or evil habit or practice.

   These biblical verses cover the vices of boastfulness and pride, miserliness, and hypocrisy.

   Synonyms:

   depravity, wrong, wrongdoing, fault

   Antonyms:

   virtue

2. 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.

   Synonyms:

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

   Antonyms:

   morality, virtue

3. sexual immorality, especially prostitution.

   Synonyms:

   licentiousness, degeneracy, wantonness

4. a particular form of depravity.

5. a fault, defect, or shortcoming.

   a minor vice in his literary style.

   Synonyms:

   weakness, foible, flaw, imperfection, blemish, stain

6. (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.

7. Sometimes Vice vice squad.

   Detective Crockett was reassigned from the Robbery Division to Vice last year.

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

9. 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.

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adjective

1. 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: the vice division of the police department.

   a vice cop;

   the vice division of the police department.

vice ² American  

[vahys] / vaɪs /

noun

viced, vicing

1. vise.

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vice ³ American  

[vahy-see, -suh, vahys] / ˈvaɪ si, -sə, vaɪs /

preposition

1. instead of; in the place of.

   The committee was reorganized, with Mr. Silver, vice Mr. Cooper, as the head.

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vice- ⁴ American  

1. 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.

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vice ¹ British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

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

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

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

4. a failing or imperfection in character, conduct, etc

   smoking is his only vice

5. obsolete pathol any physical defect or imperfection

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

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vice ² British  

/ vaɪs /

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) serving in the place of or as a deputy for

   2. ( in combination )

      viceroy

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noun

1. informal a person who serves as a deputy to another

vice ³ British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

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

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verb

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

Vice ⁴ British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

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

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vice ⁵ British  

/ ˈvaɪsɪ /

preposition

1. instead of; as a substitute for

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Synonym Usage

See fault.

Other Word Forms

• viceless
  adjective
• vicelike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of vice¹

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

Origin of vice³

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

Origin of vice-⁴

Middle English ≪ Latin vice vice ³

Explanation

A vice is a moral failing or a bad habit. Lying and cheating are both forms of vice. In the United States, municipal police departments often have a bureau dedicated to vice, manned by vice cops, whose job it is to fight crime related to alcohol, drugs, and gambling. But anything can be a vice, as long as there's someone out there who views it as bad behavior or a moral weakness. You might say, casually, "Chocolate ice cream is my vice. I eat it every day."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vice vice- Vice

Coach Sean McVay has said that the decision to travel late to Australia was made after consultation with Reggie Scott, the Rams’ senior vice president of sports medicine and performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Syarifah Hatifah, the 57-year-old vice principal of a junior high school in provincial capital Pontianak, fears some of her nearly 600 pupils may be falling behind.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

The amendment provides a process for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare a president unable to discharge the duties of the office.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

“Customers won’t reject them, but will they pay you extra for it? That remains to be seen,” said consultant Dan Nicholson, a former General Motors vice president.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

The teenager seemed startled that Mosley was speaking to him, even though Mosley and Michael had been watching him the whole time and vice versa.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“What it comes down to is data quality,” said Jean-Charles Gordon, Kpler’s vice- president of maritime and logistics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

Also on Friday, the US House of Representatives voted unanimously to bolster Secret Service protection for presidential and vice- presidential candidates.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2024

The most incensed response to the report came from Diosdado Cabello, the vice- president of Maduro’s party and the president of the National Constituent Assembly.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 23, 2019

Former senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the Democratic vice- presidential nominee in 2000 who later became an independent, also signed the letter.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 17, 2015

Once again the vice- president turned to confront Officer Delinko.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

He is a two-time News and Documentary Emmy Award winner for work on Yemen with Vice News Tonight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Phil Vice President of Community & Government Engagement Cynthia Fuentes said in an interview that the organization has been “prioritizing accessibility for a very long time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Kamala Harris look all but certain to join the race . . . again.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

The main lecture was delivered by Pedro Pina, Vice President of YouTube, who gave a reminder about the vast changes in the TV landscape since the festival first began.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

When Jerrie and Janey met with Vice President Johnson, he gave the women five minutes to speak before telling them that there was nothing he could do.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson