What Does Iniquitous Mean?

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great way to learn some new vocabulary.  Visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion for links to more word nerdy words.

I have written and edited (and edited) a YA manuscript, and now it’s time to query agents.    I entered the Query Kombat Contest for a chance to get agents to see my stuff.  I didn’t get far in the contest, but I DID learn a new word from someone else’s entry.   I also got some great feedback, so it was a worthwhile adventure.

I can’t remember the exact sentence from the  entry, but it went something like:

Gwen made it her personal mission to purge the iniquitous crooks in Shadow Town.

I thought maybe the author meant “ubiquitous”, so I looked it up.  Nope.  She taught me a new word.  Thank you fellow Query Kombatant!

the joker
The Joker: an iniquitous character

iniquitous \i-‘ni-kwə-təs\ adj. from Latin iniquus, uneven, from in + aequus equal ; very unfair or evil; characterized by gross injustice

Of course I should have known from the “equal” root that this word meant unequal.  I need more sleep.

Word Nerd Workout

Share a juicy synonym for iniquitous in the comments below.  My example: nefarious.

Spread the word on Twitter:  Word Nerd Word: iniquitous = grossly unjust; very unfair via @juliatomiak 

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Julia 

Julia Tomiak
I believe in the power of words to improve our lives, and I help people find interesting words to read. Member of SCBWI.

9 Comments

  1. “grossly unjust” crooks? That seems a strange use of the word. So does “unequal” crooks? Can it just mean evil, without the connotation of an “unfair and unjust” kind of evil?

    1. I see your point – isn’t evil inherently unjust? But that’s how Webster defined it and how the contestant used it. Perhaps the crooks were particularly nasty or evil (that’s why I picked the Joker). Hitler could be an example of a villain with especially unjust practices.

      Does this sentence work better for you:

      Abraham Lincoln fought to end the iniquitous practice of slavery in the United States.

      Thanks for digging into this word! Have a great weekend.

  2. Isn’t it great how our eyes now spot new words wherever we happen to be reading? I’ve been seeing the world through my nine-year-old granddaughter’s eyes lately. At this age she’s very aware of the inequities in the world. Her synonym for iniquitous is “NOT FAIR!” is a very firm voice. I have to agree with most of her pronouncements.

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