Viceless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by the complete absence of immoral traits, this condition signifies a state of purity and virtue in one's ethical beliefs
2. This term refers to a moral condition that is entirely free from faults, indicating an unblemished and righteous character
3. Referring to a state completely devoid of any wrongdoing, this concept embodies both purity of spirit and a lack of ethical flaws

Etymology: "Viceless" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it is simply "vice" with the suffix "-less," meaning "without." The "-less" ending comes from Old English "lēas," meaning "devoid of" or "lacking," which has been attached to nouns across English's history to form adjectives such as "careless," "harmless," and "fearless." The base word "vice" entered English from Old French "vice," itself from Latin "vitium," meaning fault, defect or blemish. In that original sense, a vice was any flaw, and only later did it narrow toward moral wrongdoing. "Viceless," then, describes something with no moral fault in it, which is why it reads as a near-synonym of "sinless" while carrying a slightly more everyday, less theological tone.

Synonyms: virtuous, moral, innocent

Antonyms: vicious, immoral