sin

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: an offense against religious or moral law
b
: an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible
it's a sin to waste food
c
: an often serious shortcoming : fault
2
a
: transgression of the law of God
b
: a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

sin

2 of 4

verb

sinned; sinning

intransitive verb

1
: to commit a sin
2
: to commit an offense or fault
: the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet see Alphabet Table

sin

4 of 4

abbreviation

sine

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More on the Meaning of Sin

The word sin has been in use for well over a thousand years. Our current form of the word comes from the Middle English sinne, which is itself from the Old English syn. The original meanings of sin were largely concerned with religious matters ("an offense against religious or moral law"; "a transgression of the law of God"; "a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God"), as they still are today.

Sin does, however, have weakened, non-religious meanings. In its "an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible" meaning it is still a weighty word; it refers to actions of a kind that are likely to be strongly condemned. Far weaker is its "an often serious shortcoming" meaning, which can jokingly apply to a harmless act like eating one dessert too many, or can be paired with another word to refer to a failing of one kind or another, as in "literary/grammatical sins."

The word sinful, although it is most often found used in reference to behavior that is in some way wicked, may also be found denoting activities which are quite enjoyable (although still possibly guilt-inducing), such as eating "a sinful dessert."

Sin is also used in a fair number of compound nouns, some of which allow shades of sinfulness: a venial sin is much less serious than a mortal sin.

If you find yourself in need of a word with which to describe behavior or inclinations that are in some way questionable, but feel that sin is too strong a word, the English language has a wealth of options available. The Latin word peccare (“to sin”) has given rise to a number of English words that deal with sin, but which have less fire and brimstone in their meanings. We have peccadillo (“a slight offense”), peccable (which may mean either “liable to sin” or “susceptible to temptation”), and peccant (“violating a principle or rule, as of taste or propriety”).

Choose the Right Synonym for sin

offense, sin, vice, crime, scandal mean a transgression of law.

offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

Examples of sin in a Sentence

Noun (1) a child old enough to know that lying is a sin a minister who worries that modern society has abandoned the concept of sin a sordid section of the city that is mainly known for sin and degradation it's a sin to waste food when people are starving my besetting sin is impatience—I hate to wait for anything Verb Forgive me, for I have sinned. bless me, Father, for I have sinned
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The purpose of Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is to practice forgiving others and repentance for one’s sins against God. Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2024 These Humans — some drawn from famous artwork, including Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights — represent sin and excess in its many forms and feed on people’s anxieties to gain strength. Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
Verb
Again and again, Stan’s Donald spends The Apprentice cataloging the ways in which he has been sinned against. Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 Páramo is a perfect hypocrite, sinning freely and then heading to the confession booth to take advantage of his faith’s unlimited forgiveness policy. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sin 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English sinne, from Old English synn; akin to Old High German sunta sin and probably to Latin sont-, sons guilty, est is — more at is

Noun (2)

Hebrew śin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sin was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sin

Cite this Entry

“Sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sin. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sin

1 of 2 noun
1
: a breaking of a moral law
2
: an action that is or is felt to be bad

sin

2 of 2 verb
sinned; sinning
: to commit a sin

More from Merriam-Webster on sin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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