iniquity

IPA/ɪˈnɪkwəti/
KK[ˌɪnˈɪkwɪti]IPA/ɪˈnɪkwəti/

iniquity — noun

  • iniquitysingular
  • iniquitiesplural

1. An act or situation that is extremely unjust and morally unacceptable — for exam

1.名詞C1
釋義

An act or situation that is extremely unjust and morally unacceptable — for example, a corrupt official taking a bribe from a poor family, or a court letting the guilty walk free while the innocent are punished.

例句

The villagers called the land seizure an iniquity and began a protest.

pattern: call + something + an iniquity

Iris could not stay silent while such iniquities happened in her own neighbourhood.

plural: iniquities for specific acts

同義詞
  • injustice

    Broader and less dramatic; use for everyday unfairness (CEFR B2)

  • wrong

    Less formal and more general; can replace iniquity in casual contexts but loses the gravity (CEFR B1)

  • offence

    Legal tone; focuses on breaking a rule rather than the moral dimension (CEFR B2)

  • atrocity

    Stronger still; implies cruelty and violence (CEFR C1)

反義詞
  • justice

    The state of being fair and reasonable (CEFR B1)

  • fairness

    Impartial treatment without favouritism (CEFR B1)

  • righteousness

    Morally correct behaviour (CEFR C1)

文法句型

a(n) + iniquity

iniquities (plural)

用法筆記

Countable in this sense — use a/an for a single act and iniquities for multiple. More dramatic and formal than injustice; reserve for truly extreme or systemic wrongs.

常見錯誤

❌The company committed many iniquities against its workers.
✅The company subjected its workers to many injustices.
💡'iniquity' implies a deeper moral evil than 'injustice'; for everyday workplace unfairness, 'injustice' is more appropriate.
❌She felt the pay cut was a small iniquity.
✅She felt the pay cut was a small injustice.
💡'iniquity' is too strong for minor wrongs; use it only for grave or shocking unfairness.

2. The quality or state of being deeply and fundamentally evil, especially when und

2.名詞C2
釋義

The quality or state of being deeply and fundamentally evil, especially when understood as a persistent moral condition of a person, a system, or a supernatural force — often used in religious, literary, or philosophical contexts.

例句

The novel explores the depths of human iniquity through its main villain.

collocation: depths of iniquity

Tariro warned that a life of iniquity would bring nothing but regret.

同義詞
  • wickedness

    More direct and slightly less formal than iniquity; common in everyday moral speech (CEFR B2)

  • evil

    Broader and more widely used; can describe both acts and characters (CEFR B2)

  • depravity

    Extreme moral corruption, often with a suggestion of perversity or decay (CEFR C1)

  • corruption

    Focuses on dishonesty and abuse of power, especially in institutions (CEFR B2)

反義詞
  • virtue

    Behaviour showing high moral standards (CEFR B2)

  • goodness

    The quality of being kind and morally right (CEFR A2)

  • righteousness

    The quality of being morally right or justifiable (CEFR C1)

文法句型

quality/state of iniquity

path/world/depths of iniquity

用法筆記

Uncountable — do not use a/an or a plural form in this sense. Frequently appears with religious or moral framing (sin, evil) rather than legal or social terms.

常見錯誤

❌He was punished for his iniquities.' (when meaning his wicked nature)
✅He was punished for his wickedness.
💡to describe a person's evil character, use 'wickedness' or 'depravity'; 'iniquities' in the plural is reserved for sense 1 (specific unfair acts).
❌The iniquity of his actions was clear.' (ambiguous)
✅The iniquity of his actions was clear.
💡this works only if the actions reveal a deep evil character rather than a single unfair act. If in doubt, specify: 'The iniquity of his corrupt scheme became obvious.'