Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state or character of being sinful; especially, the quality of being contrary to the divine law; wickedness; depravity; moral corruption; iniquity: as, the sinfulness of an action; the sinfulness of thoughts or purposes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable The property of being sinful.
  • noun countable The result or product of being sinful.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun estrangement from god

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sinful +‎ -ness

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Examples

  • Him and leaving the contrary, which is avarice or spending in sinfulness that which He hath committed to them; and what pleaseth

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Indeed, we see some men constant in sinfulness, inclining to that which He loveth not and transgressing in this the original intent and purpose of their creation, which is the love of the Truth, and drawing on themselves the wrath of their Lord, whilst we see others constant in seeking the satisfaction of their Creator and obeying

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • We shall never be able to stamp out syphilis and gonorrhoea until the stigma of sinfulness is removed from them.

    As I Please 1947

  • What we call sinfulness is largely a matter of custom and convention.

    Man And His Ancestor A Study In Evolution Charles Morris 1877

  • God be thanked that the former sinfulness is such a foil and such a spur to your present holiness.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721

  • "The truth respecting God's holiness and our sinfulness, which is the very first spark of light in us, has no place in us" [Alford].

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • His guilt was aggravated by his essential, native sinfulness, which is as contrary to God's requisitions of inward purity as are outward sins to those for right conduct.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • We take great caution and precaution to try to explain things in terms of our normal sinfulness, which is bad enough, and maybe psychological issues that the person has.

    chron.com Chronicle 2010

  • We take great caution and precaution to try to explain things in terms of our normal sinfulness, which is bad enough, and maybe psychological issues that the person has.

    chron.com Chronicle 2010

  • "sinfulness" -- mix up, in a general way, good nourishment with ascetic principles -- and you will attain to a capacity of luxuriance in certain matters that may well be the envy and despair of poor primitives like the

    Fountains in the Sand Rambles Among the Oases of Tunisia Norman Douglas 1910

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