What does "sin" mean?
A violation of divine will or religious law.
Sin
/sɪn/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A violation of divine will or religious law.
- Grammar: sin is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aberrancy, aberration, abomination, adulteries.
- Useful contrasts: atoning, compliance, cosine.
- Usage evidence: It is a sin to steal even a pin.
How to use "sin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sin" 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 "sin" 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 "sin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sin" 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 "sin" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "aberrancy" 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 "sin", 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 A violation of divine will or religious law. countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
"As a Christian, I think this is a sin against God."
- 2 A letter of the Hebrew alphabet; שׂ
- 3 Alternative form of sinh (“tube skirt”). alt-of, alternative
- 4 Initialism of social insurance number, an identification number issued by the government of Canada. Canada, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 5 an act that is regarded by theologians as a transgression of God's will wordnet
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 Sinfulness, depravity, iniquity. countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
- 7 A letter of the Arabic alphabet; س
- 8 estrangement from god wordnet
- 9 A misdeed or wrong. countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
"The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen.[…]The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared."
- 10 the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet wordnet
- 11 A sin offering; a sacrifice for sin. countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
"For he hath made him to be ſinne for vs, who knewe no ſinne,[…]"
- 12 ratio of the length of the side opposite the given angle to the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle wordnet
- 13 An embodiment of sin; a very wicked person. countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
"Thy Ambition / (Thou Scarlet ſinne) robb’d this bewailing Land / Of Noble Buckingham,[…]"
- 14 A flaw or mistake. countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
"No movie is without sin."
- 15 sin bin countable, error-lua-exec, uncountable
"Winger Cheslin Kolbe, sitting with his jersey over his head in the sin after a yellow card at the death, was probably the sight of millions of South Africans around the country who had their hearts in their mouth as they sat through another nail-biting match."
Verb
- 1 To commit a sin. error-lua-exec, intransitive
- 2 commit a sin; violate a law of God or a moral law wordnet
- 3 commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The god of the moon.
- 2 A surname from Chinese.
- 3 A desert mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, situated between Elim and Mount Sinai.
"And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt."
- 4 Abbreviation of Sinaloa: a state of Mexico. abbreviation, alt-of
Antonyms
Example
"It is a sin to steal even a pin."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sin"?
Common synonyms include: aberrancy, aberration, abomination, adulteries, adultery, atrocity.
How do you use "sin" in a sentence?
It is a sin to steal even a pin.
How do you pronounce "sin"?
Pronounced /sɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English sinne, synne, sunne, zen, from Old English synn (“sin”), from Proto-West Germanic *sunnju, from Proto-Germanic *sunjō (“truth, excuse”) and *sundī, *sundijō (“sin”), from , from *h₁sónts ("being, true", implying a verdict of "truly guilty" against an accusation or charge), from *h₁es- (“to be”); compare Old English sōþ ("true"; see sooth). Doublet of suttee. Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sände, Säände (“sin”), West Frisian sûnde (“sin”), German Sünde (“sin”), Luxembourgish Sënd, Sënn (“sin”), Vilamovian zynd (“sin”) Yiddish זינד (zind, “sin”), Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish synd (“sin”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌰 (sunja, “truth”), Latin sont-, sons (“sinful, guilty, criminal”).
Etymology 2
Modification of shin.
Etymology 3
Transliteration of Akkadian 𒀭𒂗𒍪 (Sîn).
Etymology 4
From Cantonese 單 /单 (sin6) or 冼 (sin2).
Etymology 5
From Hebrew סִין.
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