Turpitude

 WORD OF THE DAY

turpitude / noun / TER-puh-tood

Definition
1a: inherent baseness
1b: depravity
2: a base act

Examples
"Moral turpitude is defined at the local level, but common crimes include murder, … robbery, burglary, drugged driving, drunk driving with a suspended license, voluntary manslaughter…."
— David J. Bier, The Cato Institute, 30 Nov. 2021

By 1900, nativism had crept into the temperance discourse, as immigrants from Ireland and Italy were associated with drunkenness and moral turpitude.
— Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022

Did You Know?
Turpitude came to English from Latin turpitudo by way of Middle French.
Turpitudo comes from turpis, which means "vile" or "base."
Turpitude is often found in the phrase "moral turpitude," an expression used in law to designate an act or behavior that gravely violates the moral sentiment or accepted moral standards of the community.
A criminal offense that involves moral turpitude is one that is considered wrong or evil by moral standards, in addition to being the violation of a statute.