scandal
noun
scan·dal
| \ ˈskan-dᵊl
\
\
Definition of scandal
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person
b
: conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another
2
: loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : disgrace
3a
: a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it
b
: a person whose conduct offends propriety or morality
a scandal to the profession
4
: malicious or defamatory gossip
5
: indignation, chagrin, or bewilderment brought about by a flagrant violation of morality, propriety, or religious opinion
scandal
verb
scandaled;
scandaling;
scandals
Definition of scandal (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for scandal
Synonyms: Noun
disgrace, dishonor, opprobrium, reflection, reproach
Antonyms: Noun
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Examples of scandal in a Sentence
Noun
There was a major scandal involving the mayor's ties with the Mob. Government officials were caught in an embezzlement scandal. Her behavior caused a scandal at school. There was never a hint of scandal during her time in office. The gossip magazine is filled with rumors and scandal. The high price of gas these days is a scandal. It's a scandal that this city doesn't have a movie theater.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The scope of the fake accounts scandal at Wells Fargo expanded, with the bank now saying 3.5 million accounts may have been opened without customers’ permission. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 31 Aug. 2019 In one scene, Jason reacts to the scandal of Gucci’s offensive cluelessness in marketing a sweater evocative of blackface minstrelsy. — Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, "Why “Styling Hollywood” Is One of the Best Celebrity-Stylist Reality Shows," 30 Aug. 2019 The band’s lyrics spoke to the average Russian not interested in geopolitical scandals but in complaining about the irritations of daily life. — Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, "How Russia’s biggest rock star gets away with speaking truth to power (a.k.a. Putin)," 30 Aug. 2019 His new film is a dramatization of the Alfred Dreyfus scandal in 19th century France. — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Roman Polanski Says He Felt Persecuted for Sharon Tate's Murder by the Manson Family," 29 Aug. 2019 Hadassah scaled back operations after the Madoff scandal blew open in late 2008, and eventually shut its Washington office, among other measures. — Ron Kampeas, sun-sentinel.com, "Hadassah banks on bipartisanship in attracting new members," 28 Aug. 2019 Then there are also the scandals surrounding lax data privacy and rampant foreign influence, which have consumed much of Washington's attention since the 2016 election. — Marcy Gordon, USA TODAY, "How should big tech police content while avoiding bias?," 28 Aug. 2019 But this college admission scandal is just one example of how higher education can perpetuate economic privilege rather than expand economic opportunity. — Anika Michel, Quartz at Work, "I did everything right and it still took over a year to find a job after grad school," 27 Aug. 2019 More Stories Social media put award shows into ongoing crisis years ago, and the VMAs—once a reliable source of zany scandals and career-crowning moments—have been especially snoozy and pointless lately. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The VMAs Were the End of Reality," 27 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Social scientists predicted the Cambridge Analytica scandal way back in 2007. — Felix Salmon, WIRED, "The Case for A Zuck-Free Facebook," 3 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scandal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for scandal
scandal
noun
English Language Learners Definition of scandal
: an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong
: talk about the shocking or immoral things that people have done or are believed to have done
: something that is shocking, upsetting, or unacceptable
See the full definition for scandal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
scandal
noun
scan·dal
| \ ˈskan-dəl
\
\
Kids Definition of scandal
1
: something that angers or shocks people because rules or standards of behavior are violated
2
: talk that injures a person's good name
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