moral turpitude
Vile ethical corruption
Moral turpitude is conduct considered vile, depraved, or contrary to community standards of justice and morality.
The phrase appears almost exclusively in legal contexts—immigration law, professional licensing, employment contracts—where conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude can trigger deportation, disbarment, or dismissal.
What qualifies varies by jurisdiction: fraud, theft, and violent crimes typically count; minor offenses usually don't.
The attorney was disbarred after his conviction for a crime of moral turpitude.
Moral corruption or evil
- degeneracyMoral or physical decline
- perversionCorruption or deviant distortion
- debaucheryExtreme indulgence in vices
- viceBad habit or deputy
sinfulness · iniquity · baseness · vileness · lewdness · licentiousness · decadence · profligacy
Corrupt payment for influence
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- extortionObtaining through threats
- graftIllicit political gain
kickback · malfeasance · misappropriation · collusion · money laundering · racketeering · tax evasion · insider trading
Legal expulsion from country
- visa denialRejected travel authorization request
- inadmissibilityQuality of being prohibited
- disbarmentRevoking a lawyer's license
- professional misconductEthics breach at work
felony · conviction · indictment · criminal offense · character assessment · sentencing · license revocation
Extreme public disgrace
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- dishonorLoss of respect
- stigmaMark of dishonor
- disreputeDamaged public standing
ignominy · scandal · discredit · opprobrium · notoriety · public condemnation · ostracism · humiliation
Violation of confidence
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- unscrupulousnessLack of ethical restraint
- bad faithIntentional deception in dealings
- ethical violationBreach of moral standards
wickedness
Moral corruption or evil
- degeneracyMoral or physical decline
- perversionCorruption or deviant distortion
- debaucheryExtreme indulgence in vices
vice · sinfulness · iniquity · baseness · vileness · lewdness · licentiousness · decadence · profligacy · dissipation
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- extortionObtaining through threats
graft · kickback · malfeasance · misappropriation · collusion · money laundering · racketeering · tax evasion · insider trading · perjury
deportation
Legal expulsion from country
- visa denialRejected travel authorization request
- inadmissibilityQuality of being prohibited
- disbarmentRevoking a lawyer's license
professional misconduct · felony · conviction · indictment · criminal offense · character assessment · sentencing · license revocation
infamy
Extreme public disgrace
disrepute · ignominy · scandal · discredit · opprobrium · notoriety · public condemnation · ostracism · humiliation · reproach
breach of trust
Violation of confidence
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- unscrupulousnessLack of ethical restraint
- bad faithIntentional deception in dealings
- moral decaydegeneration, degradation, depravity, fall from grace, backsliding
- moral statesvirtue, vice, righteousness, wickedness, innocence
- sinsgreed, lust, gluttony, deadly sin, sloth
- corruptioncorruption, graft, kickbacks, bribery, bribes
- censorshipbanned books, censored, banned, book banning, book bans
- impietyungodliness, unholiness, irreverence, sacrilege, blasphemy
moral turpitudemoral rectitude
Adherence to ethical principles
moral integrity · moral virtue · uprightness · righteousness · probity
moral turpitudeinnocence
Freedom from wrongdoing
blamelessness · guiltlessness · inadvertence · honest mistake
moral, immoral, morality, morals, amoral, immorality, moralizing, demoralize, moralistic