original sin

noun

1
: the state of sin that according to Christian theology characterizes all human beings as a result of Adam's fall
2
: a wrong of great magnitude
the original sin of slavery

Examples of original sin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And its intractability deflected mainstream attention from the country’s original sin: slavery. Harold Holzer, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024 And for Adam, the original sin of his parents’ untimely demise is what has kept him from having any chance for an emotional connection with anybody. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2023 Economists urged developing nations to borrow in their own currencies to erase the ‘original sin’ of dollar debt. Gabriele Steinhauser and Chelsey Dulaney, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023 This is perhaps the original sin of Twi’lek design. Vulture, 11 Sep. 2023 The Mass was expressive of Teilhard’s thought, which, in 1927 and afterward, drew the attention of the Vatican, where officials objected to his dismissal of the idea that the human race descended from Adam and Eve, and his corresponding lack of emphasis on the idea of original sin. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 Or was there an original sin in Buckler’s drawing of a boundary around Boerum Hill in the first place? Jonathan Lethem, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023 The sulky postwar formation that Moyn depicts owes a great deal to Christian brooding on original sin, as well as to Sigmund Freud’s then increasingly popular conception of the self as impulsive and destructive. Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2023 Enslavement is colonialism’s original sin, forced migration and labor producing wealth and trauma in vast and terrifying measure; the displacement and death of untold millions of Indigenous people, pushed aside to claim land and resources to build anew, runs right alongside it. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'original sin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of original sin was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near original sin

Cite this Entry

“Original sin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/original%20sin. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

original sin

noun
1
: the state of sin that according to Christian teaching all people are born in as a result of Adam's sin in Eden
2
: a very great and significant wrong
the original sin of slavery

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