Definition of ENORMITY

Enormity vs. Enormousness: Usage Guide

Enormity, some people insist, is improperly used to denote large size. They insist on enormousness for this meaning, and would limit enormity to the meaning "great wickedness." Those who urge such a limitation may not recognize the subtlety with which enormity is actually used. It regularly denotes a considerable departure from the expected or normal. they awakened; they sat up; and then the enormity of their situation burst upon them. "How did the fire start?" — John Steinbeck When used to denote large size, either literal or figurative, it usually suggests something so large as to seem overwhelming no intermediate zone of study. Either the enormity of the desert or the sight of a tiny flower — Paul Theroux the enormity of the task of teachers in slum schools — J. B. Conant and may even be used to suggest both great size and deviation from morality. the enormity of existing stockpiles of atomic weapons — New Republic It can also emphasize the momentousness of what has happened the sombre enormity of the Russian Revolution — George Steiner or of its consequences. perceived as no one in the family could the enormity of the misfortune — E. L. Doctorow

Did You Know?

Although enormity has been used since the late 1700s to denote large size, this usage continues to be disparaged by various language commentators who argue that enormity should be reserved for senses related to "great wickedness." It is enormousness, they insist (a hefty and considerably less common word), that should be used in reference to great size, despite the fact that, like enormity, it too originally was used to denote wickedness or divergence from accepted moral standards. For better or worse, this proscription has been widely ignored by many English speakers, including professional writers. However one chooses to use them, enormity and enormous can both be traced back to the Latin enormis, from the prefix e- ("out of") and norma ("rule," "pattern," or "carpenter's square").

Examples of enormity in a Sentence

We were shocked at the enormity of the crime. They didn't fully grasp the enormity of their decision.

Recent Examples on the Web

To hold in his mind the enormity of one human existence. — Rachael Allen, The Atlantic, "Reconstructing the Memories of Aging Matriarchs," 1 Aug. 2019 Now, with the proposal to change specialized school admissions dead in Albany, Mr. de Blasio will likely face pressure to confront the enormity of the city’s school segregation problem. — New York Times, "Amid Racial Divisions, Mayor’s Plan to Scrap Elite School Exam Fails," 24 June 2019 Analysts say the wrangling over a meeting to talk peace offers a window into the enormity of the task of actually reaching a peace pact in a region of competing influences. — Fox News, "Russian peace talks raise specter of shifting influence," 25 Aug. 2018 The transient weather, the forces reshaping the world every day, but also the permanent nature of continental drift and how this all fits together, the enormity of it. — Anchorage Daily News, "50 astronauts, in their own words," 23 June 2019 The age of the Earth and origin of life is almost unfathomable, but the Smithsonian’s new Deep Time Hall is designed to help us grasp the enormity of Earth’s history in light of our present-day impacts. — Erin Dimaggio, Smithsonian, "How Do Scientists Date Fossils?," 13 June 2019 My mind could not take it in, so my eyes needed to see it, to size it up, to make visual and tangible the horrible enormity. — Loren Kleinman And Amye Archer, Marie Claire, "I’m a Survivor of Sandy Hook. This Is What The Past Six Years Have Been Like.," 14 Dec. 2018 Working at the World Trade Center site, where the twin towers stood until the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, carries an emotional gravity, and artists grapple with the enormity of that loss. — Jane Margolies, New York Times, "Bringing a 5Pointz Vibe to Lower Manhattan," 1 June 2018 Luckily, a few artists are equal to the enormity of their subjects. — Richard B. Woodward, WSJ, "‘Everything Is Connected: Art and Conspiracy’ Review: Paranoid Imaginings," 24 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enormity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.