nefariousness

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English nefarious

Proto-Germanic *-in-

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti

Proto-Germanic *-ōną

Proto-Germanic *-inōną

Proto-Indo-European *-dyé-

Proto-Germanic *-atjaną

Proto-Indo-European *-tus

Proto-Germanic *-þuz

Proto-Germanic *-assuz

Proto-Germanic *-inassuz

Proto-West Germanic *-nassī

Old English -nes

Middle English -nesse

English -ness

English nefariousness

From nefarious + -ness.

Noun

nefariousness (uncountable)

1. The state or characteristic of being nefarious.
   • 1899, Booth Tarkington, chapter 7, in The Gentleman From Indiana:

     Thus the eye of Justice may not be said to have winked upon the nefariousness now under its vision.

Translations

state or characteristic

• French: infamie (fr) f, malfaisance (fr) f