sin

The word “sin” means in religious terms, an act that breaks a moral or divine law. In plain terms, a wrongful act, especially one that breaks a moral or religious rule.

“Sin” is pronounced SIHN (/ˈsɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “sin” used in a sentence: “In many faiths, lying is considered a sin.”

Depending on how it is used, “sin” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “sin” comes from Old English. From Old English synn ("sin, guilt"), traced back to a Germanic root connected to words for "truth" and "guilt" — likely originally meaning something like "being truly guilty" of a charge.

“Sin” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Sin” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in religious terms, an act that breaks a moral or divine law.

A sin is an act that breaks a moral or divine law and is judged in religious or ethical terms. A crime is an act that breaks the law of a country or state and can be punished by its legal system, so an act can be a sin, a crime, both, or neither.

A sin is a specific act that breaks a moral or divine law, while a vice is a habitual bad behaviour or moral weakness. In short, a sin is usually a single wrongful act, whereas a vice is an ongoing fault or bad habit.