philosophical sin

noun

Sin that is said to contravene the natural moral order rather than offending God directly, for example because the sinner is ignorant of divine law or does not think of God in the act.

“Coordinate term: theological sin”

Meanings

nounphilosophical sin (countable and uncountable, plural philosophical sins)

plural philosophical sins

  1. countabledateduncountableChristianitySin that is said to contravene the natural moral order rather than offending God directly, for example because the sinner is ignorant of divine law or does not think of God in the act.

    Coordinate term: theological sin

    1 more example

    For, as incompletely wrong acts, such as philosophical sins, or even theological venial sins,—say, of irreligion or disobedience to God,—render one liable to be punished, but not with the eternal loss of the last end; so it may be that there is a sufficient reward for imperfectly good acts, which, whether it is eternal or only temporary, is something different from the eternal enjoyment of the Infinite Good.

    1910, Walter McDonald, The Principles of Moral Science, page 145
  2. countableuncountableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see philosophical, sin.

Origin

  1. Ecclesiastical Latinpeccātum philosophicum
  2. Englishphilosophical sin

Ultimately from Ecclesiastical Latin peccātum philosophicum, coined around 1600.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French péché philosophique
  • péché philosophiquesin against natural moral order
Cite this entry
APA

philosophical sin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philosophical%20sin

MLA

“philosophical sin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philosophical%20sin. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “philosophical sin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/philosophical%20sin.

Source: philosophical sin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.