Definition of original sin in English:

noun

• The tendency to evil supposedly innate in all human beings, held to be inherited from Adam in consequence of the Fall. The concept of original sin was established by the writings of St Augustine.

  Example sentences

  • ‘I think the Orthodox understanding of the fall in original sin is somewhat different from that of the west.’
  • ‘Freeing the human race from these consequences of original sin constitutes Christ's gender mission.’
  • ‘It is asserted that she was ‘full of grace’ and that she was free from original sin and sinless for her whole lifetime.’
  • ‘Niebuhr's critique stemmed from the Augustinian theology of original sin.’
  • ‘Both Judaism and Islam reject the ideas of original sin and the need for an act of atonement in history.’
  • ‘On that day he contracted original sin, while on this day he overcame all sin.’
  • ‘The logic by which Paul parallels Adam and Christ is central to the notion of original sin as developed by Augustine and others.’
  • ‘The admitted necessity of baptism proved original sin, and the flaw in human nature proved the necessity of faith and baptism.’
  • ‘Again focusing on the Adam and Eve story, most thinkers blamed Eve for original sin, for tempting Adam to eat of the tree of knowledge.’
  • ‘It treated tentative approaches to a new understanding of original sin.’
  • ‘This article provides a concise and useful discussion of modern philosophical critiques of the doctrine of original sin.’
  • ‘Gary Anderson's essay on original sin is penetrating and evocative.’
  • ‘In response to this argument, it should be pointed out first of all that the doctrine of original sin has many problems of its own.’
  • ‘For McFadyen, these assertions reflect the traditional Christian understanding of original sin.’
  • ‘The doctrine of the immaculate conception holds that Mary is the one fully human being preserved from original sin because she is the Mother of God.’
  • ‘The doctrines of the fall and original sin have offered explanations of this state of affairs, but they present some problems of their own.’
  • ‘And instead of original sin leading to the Fall of Man, we fear the degradation of Nature by an apparently malevolent human species.’
  • ‘The doctrine of original sin deals with the reason why men and women have a universal propensity towards evil.’
  • ‘Islam has no concept of original sin, need for atonement, or ecclesiastical confession.’
  • ‘Some theologians regard the presence of original sin as a reason to treat children humanely.’

  Synonyms

  descent, declivity, slope, downward slope, downward slant, incline

  View synonyms