Standard Lemma guide

evilness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality or state of being evil.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • attempts to explain the origin of evil in the world

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: evil

Antonyms: goodness

Broader terms: immorality

Narrower terms: malevolence, malevolency, malice, malignity, malignancy, malignance, maleficence, mischief, balefulness, worst, nefariousness, wickedness, vileness, ugliness, reprehensibility, villainy, villainousness, perversity, perverseness, error, wrongdoing, frailty, vice

History

Etymology

From Middle English yvelnesse, from Old English yfelnyss; equivalent to evil + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: maldat — of or relating to evil
  • Dutch: slechtheid — of or relating to evil
  • Dutch: kwaadaardigheid — of or relating to evil
  • Finnish: pahuus — of or relating to evil
  • German: Boshaftigkeit — of or relating to evil
  • Indonesian: kekejaman — of or relating to evil
  • Indonesian: kejahatan — of or relating to evil
  • Ingrian: pahhuus — of or relating to evil
  • Middle English: yvelnesse — of or relating to evil
  • Romanian: răutate — of or relating to evil
  • Romanian: maliție — of or relating to evil
  • Romanian: malițiozitate — of or relating to evil
  • Spanish: maldad — of or relating to evil
  • Turkish: kötülük — of or relating to evil