vice

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as in prostitution
the practice of engaging in sexual activities for money a seedy section of the city where vice is rampant and very much out in the open

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun vice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vice are crime, offense, scandal, and sin. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

When would crime be a good substitute for vice?

The meanings of crime and vice largely overlap; however, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When is it sensible to use offense instead of vice?

While in some cases nearly identical to vice, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

When could scandal be used to replace vice?

The words scandal and vice can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

In what contexts can sin take the place of vice?

In some situations, the words sin and vice are roughly equivalent. However, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vice
Noun
  • Maybe the game doesn’t die in corruption but in the apathy of those who stop caring.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office claims that corruption tied to these export permits cost the state 12.3 trillion rupiah ($755 million).
    Lionel Lim, Fortune, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • And the weakness is extending to other travel industry forecasts, like hotels.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Potential symptoms include insomnia, muscle cramps, constipation, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, personality changes and heart arrhythmias, experts say.
    Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • The men face charges of solicitation of prostitution, a felony in Texas punishable with up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
    Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Street prostitution has been an issue on Capp Street in the Mission District for decades.
    Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • Facing his inquisitors Ono dutifully confessed to, and publicly atoned for, all his past sins: His support of DEI, academic freedom, the First Amendment and more.
    Ron Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
  • Will RuPaul's Drag Race justice finally be done to forgive the sins of the drag queens who committed the Great Betrayal of Nicole Paige Brooks From Atlanta, Ga.?
    Joey Nolfi Published, EW.com, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Our inability to pay attention is not just the smartphone’s fault.
    Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 12 June 2025
  • In his answer to the lawsuit, Walker contends that any liability for damages should be reduced or eliminated if it is revealed that Sevier failed to mitigate his damages and was negligent and/or comparatively at fault.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • With a visual style influenced by European fantasy and shonen anime, the series promises high-stakes action and emotional resonance as its heroes confront an ancient evil.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 7 June 2025
  • Topics: Science & technology (24%), particularly good vs. evil, new technology, advanced science, and the workings of the universe.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • So far in his tenure as chief baseball officer, little about the robotic Breslow has become clearer than his shortcomings as a modern-day GM.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 June 2025
  • Bane seemed to be the odd man out from the shortcomings, and now the Grizzlies have a lot of work to do.
    Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025
Noun
  • Omari’s father, Hassan (J. Paul Nicholas), is the conservative Muslim governor of Mombasa, fond of attacking the immorality in nightclubs like the Moto Moto, where most of Goddess is set, though he’s withdrawn from his reelection campaign after an illness.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 May 2025
  • Yair Golan, a former Israeli deputy commander and chairman of the Democrats party in the Knesset, offered on Monday perhaps the strongest political rebuke of Netanyahu’s government yet, accusing the prime minister of leading the nation down a path of immorality and destruction.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Vice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vice. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.

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