vice

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as in prostitution
the practice of engaging in sexual activities for money a seedy section of the city where vice is rampant and very much out in the open

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun vice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vice are crime, offense, scandal, and sin. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

When would crime be a good substitute for vice?

The meanings of crime and vice largely overlap; however, crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

When is it sensible to use offense instead of vice?

While in some cases nearly identical to vice, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

When could scandal be used to replace vice?

The words scandal and vice can be used in similar contexts, but scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

In what contexts can sin take the place of vice?

In some situations, the words sin and vice are roughly equivalent. However, sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vice
Noun
  • That ban, which dated to the 1800s, was designed to reduce bribery and corruption during elections, Reuters reported.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Topline Investigators specializing in financial crime and corruption raided the Paris office of streaming giant Netflix Tuesday morning, multiple outlets reported, as a simultaneous search took place at the company’s EMEA headquarters in Amsterdam.
    Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Rethink your strengths and weaknesses and aim to enforce a healthier routine.
    Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Finally, our adversaries, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, respect strength and exploit weakness.
    Richard Stacy, The Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The men face charges of solicitation of prostitution, a felony in Texas punishable with up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
    Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Street prostitution has been an issue on Capp Street in the Mission District for decades.
    Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • This is an unfortunately necessary measure to pay for the budgetary sins of the past.
    Mercury News & East Bay Times editorial, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
  • The challenge is where the producers start correcting the sins of the past.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Not Stephen or Tyler, though; those guys were still at fault.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
  • The only real fault lay in the lineup’s lack of a plug-in hybrid to compete with the Audi Q5, BMW X4 and Volvo XC40.
    Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • But did the Stanford experiment really offer anything conclusive about the nature of evil?
    Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • The deity is also linked to earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death and was widely regarded as the most powerful force of evil in Egyptian theology.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Another shortcoming of the lawsuit campaign is the presumption that the United States contributes the most to carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and, thus, should shoulder the burden of mitigation.
    Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • But in its Sunday announcement, the governor’s office basically acknowledged that the shortcomings of its incentive program have resulted in productions leaving for other places.
    Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • The series, which ran from 1999 to 2006, depicted Washington as a place where despite the politicking and immorality, the Constitution prevailed.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
  • To make its new version of Cleo a crusader, the series has to make the Black community around her incredibly susceptible to superstition and immorality, and that’s a crummy bargain.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2024
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near vice

Cite this Entry

“Vice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vice. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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