hamartia

[ hah-mahr-tee-uh ]
/ ˌhɑ mɑrˈti ə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hamartia ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

tragic flaw.

Origin of hamartia

1890–95; < Greek: a fault, equivalent to hamart- (base of hamartánein to err) + -ia -ia

Words nearby hamartia

hamamelidaceous, hamamelis, haman, hamantasch, hamantash, hamartia, hamartiology, hamartoblastoma, hamartoma, hamas, hamate

Example sentences from the Web for hamartia

  • Hamartia means originally a 'bad shot' or 'error', but is currently used for 'offence' or 'sin'.

    The Poetics |Aristotle

  • That is not unmotived, however; it is of Aspatia's own choosing and of Amintor's hamartia.

    Francis Beaumont: Dramatist |Charles Mills Gayley

  • The pathetic devotion of Aspatia is essential to our understanding of Amintor's tragic weakness, his hamartia.

    Francis Beaumont: Dramatist |Charles Mills Gayley

British Dictionary definitions for hamartia

hamartia
/ (həˈmɑːtɪə) /

noun

literature the flaw in character which leads to the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy

Word Origin for hamartia

C19: from Greek

Medical definitions for hamartia

hamartia
[ hä′mär-tē′ə, hə-mär′shē-ə ]

n.

A developmental defect characterized by the abnormal arrangement or combination of tissues normally present in a specific area.