Main Entry:: ¹scan·dal
Pronunciation:: \ˈskan-d^əl\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English, from Late Latin scandalum stumbling block, offense, from Greek skandalon trap, stumbling block, offense; akin to Latin scandere to climb
Date:: 13th century

1 a: discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person b: conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another2: loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : disgrace3 a: a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it b: a person whose conduct offends propriety or morality <a scandal to the profession>4: malicious or defamatory gossip5: indignation, chagrin, or bewilderment brought about by a flagrant violation of morality, propriety, or religious opinion

synonyms see offense

Learn more about "scandal" and related topics at Britannica.com

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