Definition and pronunciation
immoral woman /ɪˈmɔːrəl ˈwʊmən/ — noun phrase: a woman described as violating social, religious, or cultural standards of morality, often linked to sexual behavior but also to dishonesty, corruption, or wrongdoing.
Easy explanation
An immoral woman is a label for a woman judged as not following accepted rules of good behavior. In history and literature, this phrase usually meant a woman who did not obey strict sexual rules, but it can also mean someone dishonest or corrupt in other ways.
Grammatical formation
- Noun phrase: immoral woman.
- Plural: immoral women.
- Opposite phrase: moral woman / virtuous woman.
Meanings and nuances
- Sexual misconduct — traditionally, used to shame women for premarital sex, adultery, or promiscuity.
- General wrongdoing — a woman engaging in unethical or dishonest behavior (lying, cheating, crime).
- Cultural judgment — reflects patriarchal values, where women’s morality was tied to sexuality more than men’s.
- Literary/religious use — appears in texts warning against temptation or sin.
With prepositions and variants
- immoral woman of society: “She was labeled an immoral woman of loose character.”
- immoral woman in history: “The story condemned her as an immoral woman.”
- called an immoral woman: “She was unfairly called an immoral woman.”
Common collocations
immoral woman, immoral conduct, immoral character, immoral acts, immoral temptress, immoral lifestyle
Idioms and neighboring expressions
- fallen woman — a woman who lost “virtue” (often linked to sexuality)
- loose woman — slang/insult for promiscuous woman
- woman of ill repute — euphemism for prostitute or socially disgraced woman
Word comparisons
- immoral woman vs fallen woman: both imply shame, but fallen woman is more about sexual misconduct.
- immoral woman vs unchaste woman: unchaste = sexually active outside norms; immoral = broader (dishonesty, corruption, etc.).
- immoral woman vs virtuous woman: moral opposites — one condemned, the other praised.
Real-life examples
- “In Victorian novels, the immoral woman was often punished by tragedy.”
- “Society judged her as an immoral woman for living freely.”
- “The court painted her as an immoral woman to discredit her testimony.”
- “Art often contrasted the virtuous maiden with the immoral woman.”
- “She was labeled an immoral woman simply for seeking independence.”
Sample sentences
- “She was unfairly branded an immoral woman.”
- “The novel portrays the heroine as an immoral woman by society’s standards.”
- “He accused her of being an immoral woman because she lived freely.”
- “Victorian culture divided women into virtuous or immoral.”
- “The community called her an immoral woman for breaking norms.”
- “The painting depicts her as the archetypal immoral woman.”
- “Her reputation as an immoral woman destroyed her future.”
- “She rejected the label of immoral woman imposed on her.”
- “The story punishes the immoral woman while rewarding the virtuous one.”
- “Modern perspectives question the idea of an ‘immoral woman.’”
Synonyms
fallen woman, loose woman, unchaste woman, corrupt woman, depraved woman, wanton woman
Antonyms
virtuous woman, chaste woman, pure woman, modest woman, moral woman
Related terms
fallen woman, loose morals, promiscuity, chastity, virtue, morality, propriety
Connection to sexuality
Yes. Immoral woman has strong sexual connotations historically. It was used to condemn women who engaged in premarital sex, adultery, or prostitution, while men were often judged differently. The phrase reveals how morality was unfairly tied to female sexuality, but it can also mean non-sexual immorality like dishonesty or crime.
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