vice

¹

[ vahys ]

noun

1. an immoral or evil habit or practice:

   These biblical verses cover the vices of boastfulness and pride, miserliness, and hypocrisy.

   Synonyms: depravity, wrong, wrongdoing, fault

   Antonyms: virtue

2. immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior:

   In the Christian religion there are numerous instances of sudden conversions from a life of vice to one of virtue.

   Synonyms: corruptness, badness, corruption, wickedness, iniquity, sin, immorality

   Antonyms: morality, virtue

3. sexual immorality, especially prostitution.

   Synonyms: wantonness, licentiousness, degeneracy

4. a particular form of depravity.
5. a fault, defect, or shortcoming:

   a minor vice in his literary style.

   Synonyms: weakness, foible, flaw, imperfection, blemish, stain

6. (of a horse’s behavior) a bad habit:

   Allowing your horse turnout in a paddock may prevent vices such as weaving or wood chewing normally observed in a stall.

7. Sometimes Vice. vice squad ( def ):

   Detective Crockett was reassigned from the Robbery Division to Vice last year.

8. Vice, a character in the English morality plays, a personification of general vice or of a particular vice, serving as the buffoon.
9. Archaic. a physical defect, flaw, or infirmity:

   In most cases, attempts to relieve the symptoms will be of little avail without at the same time relieving or removing the constitutional vice which has induced this condition.

adjective

1. of or relating to the vice squad, or to the threats to public order it is tasked to police, such as gambling, pornography, prostitution, and narcotics: the vice division of the police department.

   a vice cop;

   the vice division of the police department.

vice

²

[ vahys ]

noun

, viced, vic·ing.

1. vise.

vice

³

[ vahy-see, -suh, vahys ]

preposition

1. instead of; in the place of:

   The committee was reorganized, with Mr. Silver, vice Mr. Cooper, as the head.

vice-

⁴

1. a combining form meaning “deputy,” used in the formation of compound words, usually titles of officials who serve in the absence of the official denoted by the base word:

   viceroy; vice-chancellor.

vice

¹

/ vaɪs /

adjective

1. 1. prenominal serving in the place of or as a deputy for
   2. ( in combination )

      viceroy

noun

1. informal.
   a person who serves as a deputy to another

vice

²

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. an immoral, wicked, or evil habit, action, or trait
2. habitual or frequent indulgence in pernicious, immoral, or degrading practices
3. a specific form of pernicious conduct, esp prostitution or sexual perversion
4. a failing or imperfection in character, conduct, etc

   smoking is his only vice

5. obsolete.
   pathol any physical defect or imperfection
6. a bad trick or disposition, as of horses, dogs, etc

Vice

³

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. (in English morality plays) a character personifying a particular vice or vice in general

vice

⁴

/ ˈvaɪsɪ /

preposition

1. instead of; as a substitute for

vice

⁵

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. an appliance for holding an object while work is done upon it, usually having a pair of jaws

verb

1. tr to grip (something) with or as if with a vice

Derived Forms

• ˈviceless, adjective
• ˈviceˌlike, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vice¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin vitium “a fault, defect, vice”

Origin of vice²

First recorded in 1760–70; from Latin: literally, “instead of,” ablative of vicis (genitive; not attested in nominative) “recurring action, turn, interchange, alternation”

Origin of vice³

Middle English ≪ Latin vice vice ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of vice¹

C18: from Latin vice, from vicis interchange

Origin of vice²

C13: via Old French from Latin vitium a defect

Origin of vice³

C16: from Latin, ablative of vicis change

Origin of vice⁴

C15: from Old French vis a screw, from Latin vītis vine, plant with spiralling tendrils (hence the later meaning)

Synonym Study

See fault.