Facinorous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /fəˈsɪnəɹəs/

Definitions

1. Extremely wicked or criminal in nature, characterized by profound evil and villainous behavior
2. Marked by heinous wickedness and deeply immoral conduct that transgresses all moral boundaries
3. Demonstrating extreme depravity through villainous actions of the most shameful and criminal character

Etymology: Facinorous is a rare, heavy adjective for crime that is not just wrong but monstrously wicked, and its root is a surprisingly ordinary verb. Latin "faciō" simply meant "to make" or "to do," and from it came "facinus," a "deed," which in Latin could be neutral but was often used for a bad deed. Adding the suffix "-ōsus," meaning "full of," produced "facinorōsus," someone full of wicked deeds. English borrowed the word directly from Latin, so it kept the sense of being steeped in crime rather than merely committing a single offence. Its relatives are more familiar than it is: "fact" and "factory" come from the same Latin verb, so a wicked deed and an everyday factory share an ancestor meaning simply "a thing made or done."

Synonyms: wicked, evil, sinful

Antonyms: virtuous, good, pure