noun
- Christian Theol. unseemly conduct of a religious person that discredits religion or causes moral lapse in another
- any act, person, or thing that offends or shocks moral feelings of the community and leads to disgrace
- a reaction of shame, disgrace, outrage, etc. caused by such an act, person, or thing
- ignominy; disgrace
- malicious gossip; defamatory or slanderous talk
Origin:
altered (infl. by Fr scandale or LL) < ME scandle < OFr escandele < LL(Ec) scandalum, cause for stumbling, temptation < Gr(Ec) skandalon, a snare: see descend
transitive verb scandaled or scandalled, scandaling or scandalling
- Now Chiefly Dial. to slander
- Obsolete to disgrace