iniquity

Meaning

1. Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.
2. An act of great injustice or unfairness; a sinful or wicked act; an unconscionable deed.

Synonyms

wickedness

injustice

immorality

unfairness

evil

impropriety

wrong

wrongness

dark

crime

inequity

iniquitousness

shabbiness

sin

darkness

wrongdoing

wrongfulness

malfeasance

devilry

dishonesty

fault

grievance

guilt

illegality

irregularity

lawlessness

badness

offence

offense

partiality

punishment

sinfulness

spuriousness

unjustness

Hyphenated as

in‧i‧qui‧ty

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪnˈɪkwɪti/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: iniquite

Cognate with French: iniquité

In summary

From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin inīquitās (“iniquity; inequality, unfairness; inequity, injustice”), from inīquus (“unequal, uneven, unfair; disadvantageous, unfavourable; hostile, unkind; unsuitable; wicked, wrong”) + -itās (variant of -tās (suffix forming a noun indicating a state of being)). Inīquus is derived from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + aequus (“equal; fair, impartial, just”). Compare inequity.