Part 247

Syn. -- Wicked; wrong; unjust; unrighteous; nefarious; criminal. -- Iniquitous, Wicked, Nefarious. Wicked is the generic term. Iniquitous is stronger, denoting a violation of the rights of others, usually by fraud or circumvention. Nefarious is still stronger, implying a breach of the most sacred obligations, and points more directly to the intrinsic badness of the deed.

In*iq"ui*tous*ly, adv. In an iniquitous manner; unjustly; wickedly.

In*iq"ui*ty (?), n.; pl. Iniquities (#). [OE. iniquitee, F. iniquité, L. iniquitas, inequality, unfairness, injustice. See Iniquous.]

1. Absence of, or deviation from, just dealing; want of rectitude or uprightness; gross injustice; unrighteousness; wickedness; as, the iniquity of bribery; the iniquity of an unjust judge.

Till the world from his perfection fell Into all filth and foul iniquity.

Spenser.

2. An iniquitous act or thing; a deed of injustice or unrighteousness; a sin; a crime. Milton.

Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.

Is. lix. 2.

3. A character or personification in the old English moralities, or moral dramas, having the name sometimes of one vice and sometimes of another. See Vice.

Acts old Iniquity, and in the fit Of miming gets the opinion of a wit.

B. Jonson.

In*i"quous (?), a. [L. iniquus; pref. in- not + aequus. See Equal.] Iniquitous. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

In*ir"ri*ta*ble (?), a. [Pref. in- not + irritable: cf. F. inirritable.] Not irritable; esp. (Physiol.), incapable of being stimulated to action, as a muscle. -- In*ir`ri*ta*bil"i*ty (#), n.

In*ir"ri*ta*tive (?), a. Not accompanied with excitement; as, an inirritative fever. E. Darwin.

In*isle" (?), v. t. [Cf. Enisled.] To form into an island; to surround. [Obs.] Drayton.

In*i"tial (?), a. [L. initialis, from initium a going in, entrance, beginning, fr. inire to go into, to enter, begin; pref. in- in + ire to go: cf. F. initial. See Issue, and cf. Commence.]

1. Of or pertaining to the beginning; marking the commencement; incipient; commencing; as, the initial symptoms of a disease.

2. Placed at the beginning; standing at the head, as of a list or series; as, the initial letters of a name.

In*i"tial, n. The first letter of a word or a name.

In*i"tial, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Initialed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Initialing.] To put an initial to; to mark with an initial of initials. [R.]

In*i"tial*ly, adv. In an initial or incipient manner or degree; at the beginning. Barrow.

In*i"ti*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Initiated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Initiating (?).] [L. initiatus, p. p. of initiare to begin, fr. initium beginning. See Initial.]

1. To introduce by a first act; to make a beginning with; to set afoot; to originate; to commence; to begin or enter upon.

How are changes of this sort to be initiated?

I. Taylor.

2. To acquaint with the beginnings; to instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce.

Providence would only initiate mankind into the useful knowledge of her treasures, leaving the rest to employ our industry.