Part 181

To stubborn critics, apt, without a theme, For depravation.

Shak.

2. The act of depraving, or making anything bad; the act of corrupting.

3. The state of being depraved or degenerated; degeneracy; depravity.

The depravation of his moral character destroyed his judgment.

Sir G. C. Lewis.

4. (Med.) Change for the worse; deterioration; morbid perversion.

Syn. -- Depravity; corruption. See Depravity.

De*prave" (d*prv"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depraved (-prvd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Depraving.] [L. depravare, depravatum; de- + pravus crooked, distorted, perverse, wicked.] 1. To speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile. [Obs.]

And thou knowest, conscience, I came not to chide Nor deprave thy person with a proud heart.

Piers Plowman.

2. To make bad or worse; to vitiate; to corrupt.

Whose pride depraves each other better part.

Spenser.

Syn. -- To corrupt; vitiate; contaminate; pollute.

De*prav"ed*ly (?), adv. In a depraved manner.

De*prav"ed*ness, n. Depravity. Hammond.

De*prave"ment (-ment), n. Depravity. [Obs.] Milton.

De*prav"er (-r), n. One who depraves or corrupts.

De*prav"ing*ly, adv. In a depraving manner.

De*prav"i*ty (?), n. [From Deprave: cf. L. pravitas crookedness, perverseness.] The state of being depraved or corrupted; a vitiated state of moral character; general badness of character; wickedness of mind or heart; absence of religious feeling and principle.

Total depravity. See Original sin, and Calvinism.

Syn. -- Corruption; vitiation; wickedness; vice; contamination; degeneracy. -- Depravity, Depravation, Corruption. Depravilty is a vitiated state of mind or feeling; as, the depravity of the human heart; depravity of public morals. Depravation points to the act or process of making depraved, and hence to the end thus reached; as, a gradual depravation of principle; a depravation of manners, of the heart, etc. Corruption is the only one of these words which applies to physical substances, and in reference to these denotes the process by which their component parts are dissolved. Hence, when figuratively used, it denotes an utter vitiation of principle or feeling. Depravity applies only to the mind and heart: we can speak of a depraved taste, or a corrupt taste; in the first we introduce the notion that there has been the influence of bad training to pervert; in the second, that there is a want of true principle to pervert; in the second, that there is a want of true principles to decide. The other two words have a wider use: we can speak of the depravation or the corruption of taste and public sentiment. Depravity is more or less open; corruption is more or less disguised in its operations. What is depraved requires to be reformed; what is corrupt requires to be purified.

Dep"re*ca*ble (?), a. [L. deprecabilis exorable.] That may or should be deprecated. Paley.

Dep"re*cate (dp"r*kt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprecated (- k`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Deprecating (-k`tng).] [L. deprecatus, p. p. of deprecari to avert by player, to deprecate; de- + precari to pray. See Pray.] To pray against, as an evil; to seek to avert by prayer; to desire the removal of; to seek deliverance from; to express deep regret for; to disapprove of strongly.

His purpose was deprecated by all round him, and he was with difficulty induced to adandon it.

Sir W. Scott.

Dep"re*ca`ting*ly (-k`tng*l), adv. In a deprecating manner.