Villainages

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of acts or behaviors attributed to a wicked or evil character or a group of such individuals
2. the moral descent or misdeeds associated with characters often cast as antagonists in stories
3. the exploration or depiction of harmful actions and their consequences in various narratives or contexts

Etymology: "Villainages" is the plural of "villainage," which in its older sense referred to the condition of a villein, a tenant-farmer bound to a lord's land in medieval England. Its later sense of wicked deeds grew out of that status, since the lowly peasant's standing came to be associated with base conduct. The plural form, used in the sense given here, refers to the evil acts of villains themselves, each one counted as a separate wrong.