depravity

noun

de·​prav·​i·​ty di-ˈpra-və-tē How to pronounce depravity (audio)
 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 depravityNicholas D. Kristof

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Back then, many conservatives treated the Epstein files as a skeleton key promising cataclysmic revelations about elite depravity and corruption. Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025 We are used to it, even as new levels of depravity are uncovered on a weekly basis. Jack Sheehan september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025 As Alfred Hitchcock’s tale of murder and depravity builds to its climax, the film’s ostensible hero, tennis professional Guy Haines (Farley Granger), needs to get out ahead of the psychopath (Robert Walker) who means to frame him for a murder. Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025 Moreover, the sender's expression of both solidarity and helplessness captures well the mood of an outraged regional and global public, reckoning with its powerlessness in the face of the accumulating moral depravity in Gaza. Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for depravity

Word History

Etymology

see deprave

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of depravity was in 1641

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depravity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depravity. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

depravity

noun
de·​prav·​i·​ty di-ˈprav-ət-ē How to pronounce depravity (audio)
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 How to pronounce depravity (audio)
plural depravities
1
: the quality or state of being depraved
2
: a corrupt act or practice

More from Merriam-Webster on depravity

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