Wickedness Meaning
/ˈwɪkɪdnəs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe state of being wicked; evil disposition; immorality.
nounA wicked or sinful thing or act; morally bad or objectionable behaviour.
Sentence Examples
He's capable of wickedness of any kind.
He cloaks his wickedness under a smiling face.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient legend describes the ____ of the villain who stole the royal treasure.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The novel explores the themes of good and ____, showing how characters deal with challenges.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English wikkednesse, wikkednes, equivalent to wicked + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]"
— 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 84, column 2:
"We speak of wickedness as something in the soul different from virtue."
— 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 227d:
"Derived from the Latin words "scelero" — which means crime or wickedness — and "phobos" meaning fear — scelerophobia is coined by both criminologists and psychologists as the fear of burglars, according to Ayla Faisal, a clinical psychologist and a PhD scholar at the Institute of Clinical Psychology at the University of Karachi."
— 2023 September 26, Abby Roch, “My house was broken into. Now I have developed a fear of thieves called scelerophobia.”, in Business Insider:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient legend describes the ____ of the villain who stole the royal treasure.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The novel explores the themes of good and ____, showing how characters deal with challenges.