Added 1 October 2026
scandal
/ˈskændəl/ noun
In Latin: flāgitium, opprobrium Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about scandal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
An incident or event that disgraces or damages the reputation of the persons or organization involved.
Their affair was reported as a scandal by most tabloids.
-
Damage to one's reputation.
The incident brought considerable scandal to his family.
-
Widespread moral outrage, indignation, as over an offence to decency.
When their behaviour was made public it caused a great scandal.
verb
- To defame; to slander.
- To scandalize; to offend.
Origin
From Middle French scandale (“indignation caused by misconduct or defamatory speech”), from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“that on which one trips, cause of offense”, literally “stumbling block”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “a trap laid for an enemy, a cause of moral stumbling”), from Proto-Indo-European *skand- (“to jump”). Cognate with Latin scandō (“to climb”). First attested from Old Northern French escandle, but the modern word is a reborrowing. Doublet, via Old French esclandre, of slander.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)