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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vice
Noun
  • The film's themes of corruption and the brave whistleblowers who expose it feel particularly apt in this current moment.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 5 June 2025
  • In the early two-thousands, he was found to have misrepresented himself as a prosecutor to help a journalist investigate a mayor suspected of corruption; he was accused of having an extramarital affair; his son reportedly posted misogynistic comments online.
    E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • One weakness in Capture One's utility as a workflow solution has been its lack of sharing to established online photo venues, but there's a ray of light on this count.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 28 May 2025
  • While the dollar strengthened for the second day on Wednesday, Jefferies thinks the greenback could be in for an extended period of weakness.
    Michelle Fox, CNBC, 28 May 2025
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
  • And the sin that Crespo supposedly committed to warrant banishment?
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
  • For his part, Misch has not come close to showing remorse nor confessing his sins.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • But now that the game is in the wild, fans are finding the same faults, and as a percentage, their scores are even lower.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • But the latest test did not have the same fault, allowing fuel to be vented away from the engine safely and preventing the collapsing ship from exploding.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own demons on the path to salvation.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 May 2025
  • In Behind the Badge, Jones chronicles the stories of firefighters, police officers, border patrol agents, game wardens, sheriffs and dispatchers who all deliver lifelines to those in need and protect us from the calamity and evil of modern society.
    Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • The Knicks’ new coach must find ways to maximize the Brunson-and-Towns duo’s strengths while hiding both of their shortcomings on the defensive end.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 June 2025
  • Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen should help address Purdue’s ’24-25 shortcomings: two-point defense and rebounding.
    CJ Moore, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • Omari’s father, Hassan (J. Paul Nicholas), is the conservative Muslim governor of Mombasa, fond of attacking the immorality in nightclubs like the Moto Moto, where most of Goddess is set, though he’s withdrawn from his reelection campaign after an illness.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 May 2025
  • Yair Golan, a former Israeli deputy commander and chairman of the Democrats party in the Knesset, offered on Monday perhaps the strongest political rebuke of Netanyahu’s government yet, accusing the prime minister of leading the nation down a path of immorality and destruction.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Vice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vice. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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