Vice meaning

vīs
A defect or flaw, as in a work of art.
noun
4
1
Any physical or functional defect or imperfection of the body.
noun
3
3
In the place of; as the deputy or successor of.
preposition
2
2
Prostitution, the sale of illegal drugs, and certain other forms of usually nonviolent criminal behavior.
noun
1
0
(law) Any of various crimes related (depending on jurisdiction) to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs.
noun
1
0
Advertisement
The definition of a vice is a weakness in morality or bad habit.

An example of vice is someone having a gambling problem.

noun
0
0
noun
0
0
One who acts in the place of; subordinate; deputy.

Vice-chairman, viceregal.

affix
0
0
A bad habit.

Smoking is a vice, not a virtue.

noun
0
0
A defect in the temper or behaviour of a horse, such as to make the animal dangerous, to injure its health, or to diminish its usefulness.
noun
0
0
Advertisement
A mechanical screw apparatus used for clamping or holding (also spelled vise).
noun
0
0
A tool for drawing lead into cames, or flat grooved rods, for casements.
noun
0
0
To hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice.

verb
0
0
In place of; subordinate to; designating a person below another in rank.

Vice president.

Vice admiral.

adjective
0
0
Instead of, in place of.

A. B. was appointed postmaster vice C. D. resigned.

preposition
0
0
Advertisement
Someone who takes the place of someone else; a deputy.
prefix
0
0
In place of; replacing.

Ms. Fine acted as treasurer, vice Mr. Smith.

preposition
0
1
Any trivial fault or failing, act of self-indulgence, etc.
noun
0
1
A bad or harmful trick or habit, as of a horse or dog.
noun
0
1
One who acts in the place of another; deputy.

Vice-chairman.

prefix
0
2
Advertisement

Origin of vice

  • < L vice, in the place of another, abl. of *vix: see vicar

    From Webster's New World College Dictionary, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old French vis-, vice- from Late Latin vice- from Latin vice ablative of *vix change weik-2 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old French from Latin vitium

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Latin ablative of vix change vice–

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From French vis (“screw, winding stairs"), from Old French vis, viz, from Latin vitis (“vine"); akin to English withy.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Anglo-Norman, from Old French, from Latin vitium (“fault or blemish").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Latin vice (“in place of"), ablative form of vicis.

    From Wiktionary

Vice Sentence Examples

  • Vice and disease, which cast such a sombre moral hue over the world, seemed to have hardly any existence for him.

  • The Venetian nobles abandoned themselves to indolence and vice.

  • But even if the rent is not mended, perhaps the worst vice betrayed is improvidence.

  • The vice of the book is excessive classification of bodily faculties, and over-subtlety in the discrimination of diseases.

More sentences

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near vice in the Dictionary