Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
depravity

more about depravity

depravity

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Depravity  \De*prav"i*ty\,  n.  [From  {Deprave}:  cf  L.  pravitas 
  crookedness,  perverseness.] 
  The  state  of  being  depraved  or  corrupted;  a  vitiated  state  of 
  moral  character;  general  badness  of  character;  wickedness  of 
  mind  or  heart;  absence  of  religious  feeling  and  principle. 
 
  {Total  depravity}.  See  {Original  sin},  and  {Calvinism}. 
 
  Syn:  Corruption;  vitiation;  wickedness;  vice;  contamination; 
  degeneracy. 
 
  Usage:  {Depravity},  {Depravation},  {Corruption}.  Depravilty 
  is  a  vitiated  state  of  mind  or  feeling;  as  the 
  depravity  of  the  human  heart;  depravity  of  public 
  morals.  Depravation  points  to  the  act  or  process  of 
  making  depraved,  and  hence  to  the  end  thus  reached; 
  as  a  gradual  depravation  of  principle;  a  depravation 
  of  manners,  of  the  heart,  etc  Corruption  is  the  only 
  one  of  these  words  which  applies  to  physical 
  substances,  and  in  reference  to  these  denotes  the 
  process  by  which  their  component  parts  are  dissolved. 
  Hence  when  figuratively  used  it  denotes  an  utter 
  vitiation  of  principle  or  feeling.  Depravity  applies 
  only  to  the  mind  and  heart:  we  can  speak  of  a  depraved 
  taste,  or  a  corrupt  taste;  in  the  first  we  introduce 
  the  notion  that  there  has  been  the  influence  of  bad 
  training  to  pervert;  in  the  second  that  there  is  a 
  want  of  true  principle  to  pervert;  in  the  second  that 
  there  is  a  want  of  true  principles  to  decide.  The 
  other  two  words  have  a  wider  use:  we  can  speak  of  the 
  depravation  or  the  corruption  of  taste  and  public 
  sentiment.  Depravity  is  more  or  less  open  corruption 
  is  more  or  less  disguised  in  its  operations.  What  is 
  depraved  requires  to  be  reformed;  what  is  corrupt 
  requires  to  be  purified. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  depravity 
  n  1:  moral  perversion;  impairment  of  virtue  and  moral  principles: 
  "the  luxury  and  corruption  among  the  upper  classes"; 
  "moral  degeneracy  followed  intellectual  degeneration"; 
  "its  brothels;  its  opium  parlors;  its  depravity"  [syn:  {corruption}, 
  {degeneracy}] 
  2:  a  corrupt  or  depraved  or  degenerate  act  or  practice:  "the 
  various  turpitudes  of  modern  society"  [syn:  {turpitude}]




more about depravity