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 of depravity

• degradation
• corruption
• corruptness
• dissoluteness

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

Taken together, this network continues to expose the depravity of what these women endured, and to demand accountability from a society that has closed its eyes to the horrors for far too long. —Pramila Jayapal, Time, 15 Apr. 2026

And every film nerd knows that the production’s depravity and delirium almost surpasses the film’s—Apocalypse Now’s Wikipedia page is as wild as the film itself. —Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026

But this satirical peek into Silicon Valley's tech bubble barely scratches the surface of the depravity and dysfunction to come. —Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

That’s partly because their bleak ending feels like a foregone conclusion from the start, even as Levinson’s frequently funny script crackles with comic depravity. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see deprave

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing depravity

• total depravity

Rhymes for depravity

• concavity
• cavity
• gravity
• intracavity
• microgravity
• supergravity

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