improbity
Definition
- Noun:
- Lack of integrity or honesty: "improbity" refers to a fundamental absence of moral uprightness, often manifesting as dishonesty, deceit, or unscrupulous behavior.
- Dishonest or corrupt action: It can also denote a specific act or instance of dishonesty or moral depravity.
Usage Examples
- (A consistent lack of honesty and integrity.)
- (Specific dishonest or corrupt actions.)
Advanced Usage
"a man of improbity": a person known for dishonesty or lack of moral principles.
- He was revealed to be a man of improbity, betraying his colleagues for personal gain. (A person fundamentally lacking integrity.)
"the improbity of the transaction": the dishonest nature of a business deal or exchange.
- The court ruled the contract void due to the improbity of the transaction. (The dishonest nature of the deal.)
Variants and Related Words
Probity (n): the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency (the antonym of improbity).
- Her probity was unquestioned; she was always truthful and fair. (The opposite of improbity.)
Improbable (adj): unlikely to be true or to happen (unrelated in meaning; note the different root).
- The story seemed improbable, but it was true. (Not related to dishonesty.)
Synonyms
- Dishonesty: lack of truthfulness; deceitfulness.
- Corruption: dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power.
- Deceit: the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.
Phrasal Verbs
Related Idioms
"A skeleton in the closet": a hidden and embarrassing secret, often involving dishonesty.
- The family's improbity was exposed when the skeleton in the closet came to light. (A hidden secret of dishonesty.)
"To blow the whistle": to inform on someone engaged in dishonest or illegal activity.
- An employee blew the whistle on the improbity within the company. (Exposed the dishonesty.)