Word of the Day

: July 8, 2017

turpitude

noun TER-puh-tood

What It Means

: inherent baseness : depravity; also : a base act

turpitude in Context

Many consumers have raised objections to the company's latest ad campaign, in which various forms of moral turpitude are depicted as fashion statements.

"As a lawyer, a conviction for this type of conduct is likely to be considered a crime of 'moral turpitude' because it involves a significant breach of the duty of a lawyer to maintain the confidentiality of a client's information." — Peter J. Henning, The New York Times, 14 Feb. 2017

Did You Know?

Turpitude came to English from Latin turpitudo by way of Middle French. Turpitudo comes from turpis, which means "vile" or "base." Turpitude is often found in the phrase "moral turpitude," an expression used in law to designate an act or behavior that gravely violates the moral sentiment or accepted moral standards of the community. A criminal offense that involves moral turpitude is one that is considered wrong or evil by moral standards, in addition to being the violation of a statute.