noun
Other Word Forms
- nondepravity noun
Etymology
Origin of depravity
Explanation
Depravity goes beyond mere bad behavior — it is a total lack of morals, values, and even regard for other living things, like the depravity of a serial killer. You can see the verb deprave in depravity. To deprave is to make something bad, often to the point of moral corruption, like the parental fear that a bad influence will deprave their good kids. So, depravity is behavior that is morally corrupt or otherwise deemed wicked. Don't confuse depravity with deprivation, meaning "being denied something that is necessary."
Vocabulary lists containing depravity
The Scarlet Letter
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave" Vocabulary from the autobiography
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While depravity is omnipresent, that doesn’t mean it’s all-consuming.
From Salon • Dec. 5, 2025
And one post-pardon case is already sticking out for sheer depravity.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025
Even with the debauchery and depravity so vividly portrayed by Wambaugh, unsung acts of goodwill and tenderness emerge through the blue fog.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025
She was equally moved, the prime minister said, adding: "It was her second visit, but no less harrowing than the first time she stepped through that gate and witnessed the depravity of what happened here."
From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025
They carried the conversation into the depths of depravity.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
