wickedness

What it means

1. countableuncountableThe state of being wicked; evil disposition; immorality.

   We speak of wickedness as something in the soul different from virtue.

   2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 227d

   2 more examples

   So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]

   1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 84, column 2

   Derived from the Latin words "scelero" — which means crime or wickedness — and "phobos" meaning fear — scelerophobia is coined by both criminologists and psychologists as the fear of burglars, according to Ayla Faisal, a clinical psychologist and a PhD scholar at the Institute of Clinical Psychology at the University of Karachi.

   2023 September 26, Abby Roch, “My house was broken into. Now I have developed a fear of thieves called scelerophobia.”, in Business Insider

   Synonyms: dishonour, indecency, unrighteousness, dishonour, immorality, improbity, impropriety, indecency

2. countableuncountableA wicked or sinful thing or act; morally bad or objectionable behaviour.

   Synonyms: depravity, outrage, turpitude, atrocity, depravity, infamy, iniquity, outrage

In a sentence

So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]

1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 84, column 2

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishwikkednesse
2. Englishwickedness

Inherited from Middle English wikkednesse, wikkednes, equivalent to wicked + -ness.