turpitude

noun

ˈtər-pə-ˌtüd How to pronounce turpitude (audio)
Definition of turpitudenext
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior pictorial advertisements for chic clothing and fragrances in which drug addiction and other forms of moral turpitude are depicted as alternative fashion statements

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of turpitude Mueller’s chronicle of prevarication, moral turpitude, and incompetence is dispiriting, but his presentation of rigorous legal reasoning and strict adherence to statutes, case law, and procedural rules is inspiring. — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2019 The Fed Chair and Fed Governors could be removed before the end of their term only for cause, which is generally taken to mean moral turpitude rather than differences in opinion with the administration over how the Fed meets its mission. — Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026 Some 500 years later — in between which came the turpitude and disruption of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism — African countries are seeking to once again prioritize building trade between themselves, seeing it as essential to boosting their collective role in the global economy. — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026 Although federal law has long said that a legal permanent resident can be denied reentry into the United States if clear and convincing evidence exists that the resident committed a crime of moral turpitude, Lau says that border officials can deny admission even without such evidence. — Leah Litman, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for turpitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turpitude
  1. degradation
  2. corruption
Noun
  • Electric-vehicle owners and operators face concerns that repeated charging and discharging of a battery could accelerate battery degradation, and that use of V2G could void a battery warranty.
    — Lisa Baertlein, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • This unwanted movement, known as the polysulfide shuttle effect, causes active material loss, side reactions, self-discharge, and rapid capacity degradation.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
Definition of degradation
Noun
  • The electoral authority based the candidate bans on a law against corrupt practices that in previous years saw some parliamentary seats bought with money linked to drug trafficking, corruption and tax evasion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Seems like far too many appreciate this type of corruption, and making money on SM for lies, is precisely that.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of corruption

Browse Nearby Words

turophiles
turpitude
tush
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Turpitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turpitude. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on turpitude

Nglish: Translation of turpitude for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All