turpitude

tur·pi·tude
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UK/ˈtɜː(ɹ)pɪtjuːd/US/ˈtɜɹpətuːd/

noun

Inherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness.

Similar
degeneracyperversionwickednessbasenesscorruptiondefilementdegradationdepravation
OriginMiddle French turpitude ← Latin turpitūdō →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounturpitude (countable and uncountable, plural turpitudes)

plural turpitudes

  1. countableuncountableInherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness.

    As for the moral turpitude that man unveiled to me, even with tears of penitence, I cannot, even in memory, dwell on it without a start of horror.

    1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

    Synonyms: degeneracy, perversion, wickedness, baseness, corruption, defilement, degeneracy, degradation

  2. countableuncountableAn act evident of such depravity.

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

Synonyms & antonyms

nounInherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness.

Similar
degeneracyperversionwickednessbasenesscorruptiondefilementdegeneracydegradationdepravationdepravednessdepravityimpurityiniquitylewditymalignitymisdoingmisguiltobliquitypeccabilityperversion

nounAn act evident of such depravity.

Similar
depravityoutragewickednessatrocitydepravityinfamyiniquityoutragewickednesswrong

More synonyms by meaning

nouna corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice

Similar
depravity
Broader
transgressionevildoing
Also see
atrocitybasenesscriminalitydepravednessdepravityimmoralityinfamyiniquityoutragepeccabilityperversionsinsinfulnessvillainyvitiationwickednesswrong

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinturpitūdō“baseness, infamy”
  2. Middle Frenchturpitude
  3. Englishturpitude

Borrowed from Middle French turpitude, from Latin turpitūdō (“baseness, infamy”), from turpis (“foul, base”).

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian низост, подлост
  • низост (nizost)inherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
  • подлост (podlost)inherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
French turpitude, turpitude
  • turpitudeinherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
  • turpitudeact evident of such a depravity
German Verderbtheit, Schändlichkeit
  • Verderbtheitinherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
  • Schändlichkeitinherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
  • Verworfenheitinherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
Russian ни́зость, развращённость
  • ни́зость (nízostʹ)inherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
  • развращённость (razvraščónnostʹ)inherent baseness, depravity or wickedness; corruptness and evilness
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“turpitude.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turpitude. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turpitude,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turpitude.

Source: turpitude on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.