Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

iniquity

/ɪnˈɪkwɪti/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.72 in modern English

Syllables
in-i-qui-ty
IPA
/ɪnˈɪkwɪti/
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.

Uncountable

noun

An act of great injustice or unfairness; a sinful or wicked act; an unconscionable deed.

Countable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin inīquitās (“iniquity; inequality, unfairness; inequity, injustice”), from inīquus (“unequal, uneven, unfair; disadvantageous, unfavourable; hostile, unkind; unsuitable; wicked, wrong”) + -itās (variant of -tās (suffix forming a noun indicating a state of being)). Inīquus is derived from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + aequus (“equal; fair, impartial, just”). Piecewise doublet of inequity.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: iniquite, iniquité, inīquitās

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/
  • British English: /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce iniquity?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/.
What does iniquity mean?
Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.
Where does iniquity come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce iniquity

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “iniquity”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪnˈɪkwɪti/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “iniquity”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “iniquity” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.