turpitude
/ˈtəːpɪtjuːd
/noun [mass noun] formal
Depraved or wicked behaviour or character: acts of moral turpitude...
- Individuals convicted on charges of corruption, moral turpitude or misuse of power would also be barred from serving as a member of the parliament or the four provincial assemblies.
- Only when such destruction threatens to derail the stock market and discredit the entire New Economy does the moral turpitude of top management become an issue.
- And if Claudius is simply a drunken thug who pulls a knife on Hamlet even when at prayer, you sacrifice the character's mix of moral turpitude and political skill.
Synonyms
wickedness, immorality, depravity, corruption, corruptness, vice, degeneracy, evil, baseness, iniquity, sinfulness, vileness
rare nefariousness, flagitiousness
Origin
Late 15th century: from French, or from Latin turpitudo, from turpis 'disgraceful, base'.