depravity

noun

de·​prav·​i·​ty di-ˈpra-və-tē 

 also  -ˈprā-

plural depravities

1

: a corrupt act or practice

the depravities of war

2

: the quality or state of being corrupt, evil, or perverted : the quality or state of being depraved

He is awed by its fabulous wealth but deeply troubled by what he sees as its moral depravity …

—Nicholas D. Kristof

Synonyms

• abjection
• corruption
• corruptness
• debasement
• debauchery
• decadence
• decadency
• degeneracy
• degenerateness
• degeneration
• degradation
• demoralization
• dissipatedness
• dissipation
• dissoluteness
• libertinage
• libertinism
• perversion
• pervertedness
• rakishness
• turpitude

Examples of depravity in a Sentence

He was sinking into a life of utter depravity.

People were shocked by the depravity of her actions.

Recent Examples on the Web

Internet tabloids made Ferrell into an avatar of the depravity of millennial excess in gentrifying Brooklyn. —Amanda Hess, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

Kendrick Lamar and Drake made a show out of accusing one another of depravity. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

Like the elder Herbert’s male leads, Prophecy’s women willfully perpetuate a cycle of abused power and depravity. —Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2024

Attempts to extradite him from London back to France were thwarted partially due to the new awareness of the depravity that reigned in the island jail. —Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deprave

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing depravity

• total depravity

Kids Definition

depravity

noun

de·​prav·​i·​ty di-ˈprav-ət-ē 

plural depravities

1

: a corrupt act or practice

2

: the quality or state of being depraved

Legal Definition

depravity

noun

de·​prav·​i·​ty di-ˈpra-və-tē 

plural depravities

1

: the quality or state of being depraved

2

: a corrupt act or practice