iniquity

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin inīquitās (“iniquity; inequality, unfairness; inequity, injustice”), from inīquus (“unequal, uneven, unfair; disadvantageous, unfavourable; hostile, unkind; unsuitable; wicked, wrong”) + -itās (variant of -tās (suffix forming a noun indicating a state of being)). Inīquus is derived from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + aequus (“equal; fair, impartial, just”). Piecewise doublet of inequity. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/, /-kwə-/, [-ɾi] Hyphenation: in‧i‧qui‧ty Rhymes: -ɪkwɪti === Noun === iniquity (countable and uncountable, plural iniquities) (uncountable) Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness. Synonyms: baseness, depravity, perversion; see also Thesaurus:iniquity (countable) An act of great injustice or unfairness; a sinful or wicked act; an unconscionable deed. Synonyms: depravity, outrage; see also Thesaurus:atrocity ==== Usage notes ==== The words iniquity and inequity overlap in meaning and have cognate roots, but their usage is differentiated by degree of evil (degree of harm that is large, intentional, or both), as follows: iniquity emphasizes evil, whereas inequity can neutrally describe injustice or unfairness even if it is not extreme or does not stem from conscious intent. ==== Alternative forms ==== iniquitie (obsolete) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === iniquity (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia