What does "enormity" mean?
Deviation from what is normal or standard; irregularity, abnormality.
Enormity
/ɪˈnɔːmɪti/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Deviation from what is normal or standard; irregularity, abnormality.
- Grammar: enormity is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abjectness, abnormality, abominableness, affront.
- Useful contrasts: benignity, goodness, minuteness.
- Usage evidence: He was unaware of the enormity of the offense.
How to use "enormity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "enormity" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "enormity" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "enormity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "enormity" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "enormity" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abjectness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "enormity", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Deviation from what is normal or standard; irregularity, abnormality. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 2 an act of extreme wickedness wordnet
- 3 Deviation from moral normality; extreme wickedness, nefariousness, or cruelty. uncountable
"Not until the war ended and journalists were able to enter Cambodia did the world really become aware of the enormity of Pol Pot’s oppression."
- 4 the quality of extreme wickedness wordnet
- 5 A breach of law or morality; a transgression, an act of evil or wickedness. countable
"Yet she appeared confident in innocence, and did not tremble, although gazed on and execrated by thousands; for all the kindness which her beauty might otherwise have excited, was obliterated in the minds of the spectators by the imagination of the enormity she was supposed to have committed."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 the quality of being outrageous wordnet
- 7 Great size; enormousness, hugeness, immenseness. proscribed, sometimes, uncountable
"I am in Amerika! I felt like weeping at the enormity of this fact. Amerika, the fabled, the mythic, the coveted. The knowledge that we had no visas, and therefore would not be allowed to set foot on land, dampened my enthusiasm only a little."
- 8 vastness of size or extent wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"He was unaware of the enormity of the offense."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "enormity"?
Common synonyms include: abjectness, abnormality, abominableness, affront, ampleness, amplitude.
How do you use "enormity" in a sentence?
He was unaware of the enormity of the offense.
How do you pronounce "enormity"?
Pronounced /ɪˈnɔːmɪti/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English ēnorme (“monstrous or unnatural act; enormity”), from Old French énormité (“enormity”), from Latin ēnormitās (“irregularity; enormity”), from ēnōrmis (“irregular, unusual; enormous, immense”) + -itās (suffix forming nouns indicating states of being). Ēnōrmis is derived from e- (a variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘out; away’) + nōrma (“norm, standard”) + -is (Latin suffix forming adjectives from nouns).