turpitude

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French turpitude, from Latin turpitūdō (baseness, infamy), from turpis (foul, base).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtɜː(ɹ)pɪtjuːd/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈtɜɹpətuːd/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: tur‧pi‧tude

Noun

turpitude (countable and uncountable, plural turpitudes)

  1. Inherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness.
    Synonyms: degeneracy, perversion, wickedness; see also Thesaurus:iniquity
    • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde:
      As for the moral turpitude that man unveiled to me, even with tears of penitence, I cannot, even in memory, dwell on it without a start of horror.
  2. An act evident of such depravity.
    Synonyms: depravity, outrage, wickedness; see also Thesaurus:atrocity

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin turpitūdō.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tyʁ.pi.tyd/

Noun

turpitude f (plural turpitudes)

  1. turpitude (depravity, wickedness)
  2. turpitude (depraved or wicked act)

Further reading