nefarious
[ ni-fair-ee-uhs ]
/ nɪˈfɛər i əs /
adjective
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.
Origin of nefarious
1595–1605; < Latin
nefārius wicked, vile, equivalent to
nefās offense against divine or moral law (
ne- negative prefix +
fās law, right) +
-ius
-ious, with intervocalic
s >
r
OTHER WORDS FROM nefarious
Words nearby nefarious
neenah,
neencephalon,
neep,
neet,
nef,
nefarious,
nefazodone,
nefertem,
nefertiti,
nefud desert,
neg
Example sentences from the Web for nefariously
He opened his eyes at my nefariously obtained knowledge, and still more when I produced the paper written from his dictation.
There is no Death |Florence MarryattIf the Government had not nefariously interposed, it could not have passed.
Charles Sumner; his complete works, volume 5 (of 20) |Charles SumnerHull was in possession, and refused to yield an acre of the lands he had so nefariously acquired.
Masterpieces of Mystery |Various
British Dictionary definitions for nefariously
nefarious
/ (nɪˈfɛərɪəs) /
adjective
evil; wicked; sinful
Derived forms of nefarious
nefariously, adverb nefariousness, nounWord Origin for nefarious
C17: from Latin
nefārius, from
nefās unlawful deed, from
nē not +
fās divine law