enormity

noun enor·mi·ty \ i-ˈnȯr-mə-tē \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Usage guide: enormity vs. enormousness

Examples: enormity in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of enormity

plural enormities

1 : an outrageous, improper, vicious, or immoral act

the enormities of state power
—Susan Sontag

other enormities too juvenile to mention
—Richard Freedman

2 : the quality or state of being immoderate, monstrous, or outrageous; especially : great wickedness

the enormity of the crimes committed during the Third Reich
—G. A. Craig

3 : the quality or state of being huge : immensity

the inconceivable enormity of the universe

4 : a quality of momentous importance or impact

the enormity of the decision

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enormity vs. enormousness

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

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 of enormity from the Web

Klose made history with the second of Germany’s seven goals against Brazil, but all the headlines the next day were about the enormity of the hosts’ collapse.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 1 Day to Go - Germany's Mild-Mannered Goal Machine, Miroslav Klose," 13 June 2018
The players had spent months absorbing the enormity of what had happened.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: North Korea summit prep encapsulates Trump’s winging-it presidency," 11 June 2018
The players had spent months absorbing the enormity of what had happened.

— noah weiland, New York Times, "9 Minutes of Terror, 12 Months of Recovery: Inside the Republican Baseball Team’s Return," 10 June 2018
The rehearsal space itself is not much more than a large, dark room, and is in fact dwarfed by the sheer enormity of The Glitch Mob’s new stage design.

— michael sundius, Billboard, "Inside The Glitch Mob's Innovative Blade 2.0 Stage: Exclusive Interview," 31 May 2018
But today the lack of music is simply reflective of the enormity of the situation.

— Longreads, "Somewhere Under My Left Ribs: A Nurse’s Story," 31 May 2018
As a 17-year-old snowboarder who hadn’t grown up watching the Olympics, Gerard didn’t grasp the enormity of what winning a gold medal means.

— rachel axon, USA TODAY, "Winter Olympics: Red Gerard returns to USA between events for media tour," 14 Feb. 2018
Lamphere also comes across as neither smart enough nor vicious enough to have committed crimes of this enormity.

— howard schneider, WSJ, "‘Hell’s Princess’ Review: A Butcher Named Belle," 18 May 2018
Madison Boulder — estimated to weigh 12 million pounds — is known for its sheer enormity.

— felice belman, BostonGlobe.com, "15 years ago, N.H. mourned for a giant rock," 3 May 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.

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").