wickedness

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wikkednesse, wikkednes, equivalent to wicked +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɪkɪdnəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

wickedness (countable and uncountable, plural wickednesses)

1. The state of being wicked; evil disposition; immorality.
   • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 84, column 2:

     So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]

   • 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 227d:

     We speak of wickedness as something in the soul different from virtue.

2. A wicked or sinful thing or act; morally bad or objectionable behaviour.

Quotations

• 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 6:5:

  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Translations

state of being wicked

• Bulgarian: злоба (bg) f (zloba), лошотия (bg) f (lošotija)
• Catalan: dolenteria f, malícia (ca) f
• Finnish: pahuus (fi)
• French: méchanceté (fr) f, perversité (fr) f
• German: Bosheit (de) f
• Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌰𐍅𐌴𐍃𐌴𐌹 f (balwawēsei)
• Greek:

  Ancient: πονηρία f (ponēría)

• Hebrew: רִשְׁעוּת f
• Irish: áibhirseoireacht f, coireacht f, colaí f, díchúis f, lochtaíl f, mallaitheacht f, urchóideacht f
• Italian: cattiveria (it) f
• Lao: ຄວາມຊົ່ວ (khuām sūa)
• Middle English: wikkednesse
• Occitan: marridesa (oc) f, aulesa (oc) f, malícia (oc) f, perversitat (oc) f, malesa f, malor f, emmaliment m, marridariá (oc) f
• Romagnol: cativēria f
• Romanian: răutate (ro) f, perversitate (ro) f, ticăloșie (ro) f
• Russian: злоба (ru) (zloba)
• Sanskrit: अधर्म (sa) m (adharma), निकृति (sa) f (nikṛti)
• Spanish: maldad (es) f, perversidad (es) f, perversión (es) f, malicia (es) f
• Tocharian B: yolaiññe
• Ukrainian: злочести́вість f (zločestývistʹ)

wicked thing

• Bulgarian: злина (bg) f (zlina)
• Dutch: boosheid (nl) f
• French: iniquité (fr) f, méchanceté (fr) f, mauvaise action (fr) f
• Occitan: marridesa (oc) f, desaguici m, marridariá (oc) f

References

• “wickedness”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “wickedness”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.