perversity

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /pə(ɹ)ˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/ See IPA manual

Freq #54869

Meanings

1

noun
A deliberate tendency to behave in an unreasonable or contrary way.

With characteristic perversity, she chose the one option everyone had advised against.
2

noun
Stubborn unruliness and resistance to guidance or discipline.

His perversity made him impossible to manage in the classroom.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a deliberate tendency to... perverseness contrariness

Word family

Forms perversities

Etymology

From perverse + -ity, from Middle French perversité, from Latin perversitās.

perversité Middle French perversitās Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# perversity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /pə(ɹ)ˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪti/
**Frequency rank:** 54869

## Meanings
1. A deliberate tendency to behave in an unreasonable or contrary way.
2. Stubborn unruliness and resistance to guidance or discipline.

## Examples
- With characteristic perversity, she chose the one option everyone had advised against.
- His perversity made him impossible to manage in the classroom.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perversité
- Root: perversitās

## Etymology
From perverse + -ity, from Middle French perversité, from Latin perversitās.

## AI Etymology
Perversity is from perverse + -ity, from Middle French perversité, from Latin perversitās. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include perversité (Middle French) and perversitās (Latin). Current senses include a deliberate tendency to behave in an unreasonable or contrary way and stubborn unruliness and resistance to guidance or discipline.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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