as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
pictorial advertisements for chic clothing and fragrances in which drug addiction and other forms of moral turpitude are depicted as alternative fashion statements
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Recent Examples of turpitude
The Fed Chair and Fed Governors could be removed before the end of their term only for cause, which is generally taken to mean moral turpitude rather than differences in opinion with the administration over how the Fed meets its mission.
—
Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Some 500 years later — in between which came the turpitude and disruption of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism — African countries are seeking to once again prioritize building trade between themselves, seeing it as essential to boosting their collective role in the global economy.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But in the mid-1800s sentiment around lotteries had begun to nosedive in the U.S. as concerns rose about their moral turpitude and by the end of the century, Congress outlawed the shipment of lottery tickets across state lines, ending most sales.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Mueller’s chronicle of prevarication, moral turpitude, and incompetence is dispiriting, but his presentation of rigorous legal reasoning and strict adherence to statutes, case law, and procedural rules is inspiring.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2019
See All Example Sentences for turpitude
Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Some 500 years later — in between which came the turpitude and disruption of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism — African countries are seeking to once again prioritize building trade between themselves, seeing it as essential to boosting their collective role in the global economy.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But in the mid-1800s sentiment around lotteries had begun to nosedive in the U.S. as concerns rose about their moral turpitude and by the end of the century, Congress outlawed the shipment of lottery tickets across state lines, ending most sales.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Mueller’s chronicle of prevarication, moral turpitude, and incompetence is dispiriting, but his presentation of rigorous legal reasoning and strict adherence to statutes, case law, and procedural rules is inspiring.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2019
See All Example Sentences for turpitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turpitude
Noun
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For millennia, glacial ice and freezing temperatures protected Ötzi’s body — and microbes — from degradation and decay.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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Researchers also confirmed the antenna could split beams between multiple users with minimal signal degradation.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Plots often involved ecological disaster, war, corruption, corporate exploitation and extraction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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Allegations of corruption, fraud, insider trading, cronyism, loss of competent intelligence and reckless actions including a new war.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turpitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turpitude. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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