Nefarious

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /nɪˈfɛəɹi.əs/

Definitions

1. Wicked or criminal in nature, typically involving immoral or illegal activities
2. Evil or villainous in intent, especially through actions that betray moral principles or legal standards
3. Characterized by a malevolent disposition, often engaging in schemes that are harmful or illegitimate

Etymology: The Romans had a striking idea of wrongdoing: a "nefās" was not merely a crime against people but something that offended divine law itself. The word was built from "ne-", meaning "not", and "fās", the sacred law that governed what gods permitted. Something outside fās was, quite literally, unspeakable, and it is fitting that the root of "fās" connects to the Latin verb for speaking and saying, the same ancient base that gives Greek "phēmí", "I say". From "nefās" came the adjective "nefārius", meaning execrable or abominable, which carried that same sense of an act so impious it should not even be named. English took the word from Latin, and it kept the moral heaviness of its source. Today it describes plots, schemes and characters who are wicked in a deliberate, criminal way, so the sense of a deed beyond the bounds of sacred law survives in its heavy, deliberate tone.

Synonyms: wicked, evil, malevolent, sinister, immoral

Antonyms: good, virtuous, honorable, noble, righteous