Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Deserving rebuke or censure.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Deserving to be reprehended or censured; blameworthy; censurable; deserving reproof: applied to persons or things.
  • Synonyms Blamable, culpable, reprovable. See admonition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Worthy of reprehension; culpable; censurable; blamable.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Blameworthy, censurable, guilty.
  • adjective Deserving of reprehension.
  • noun A reprehensible person; a villain.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin reprehēnsibilis, from Latin reprehēnsus, past participle of reprehendere, to reprehend; see reprehend.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

reprehend +‎ -ible

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Examples

  • The fact that some members of a group behave in reprehensible ways does not justify denying basic civil rights to all members.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Criminal Charges Against Anti-Homosexuality Street Preacher Dropped in England 2010

  • I guess what makes this so obviously reprehensible is the fact that this position is not grounded on any rationale but on unreasoned, exaggerated fear, and not a little bit of an ingredient called “sadism.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Lawyers, Treason, and Deception: A Response to Andrew McCarthy 2010

  • BLITZER: ... the police right away, was -- I believe he used the word reprehensible when he acknowledged it.

    CNN Transcript Aug 26, 2009 2009

  • What makes this especially reprehensible is that these so-called advocates are pushing radical policies while remaining largely immune from the impact of these policies.

    Waldo Jaquith - Christians United for Israel. 2007

  • Chase … price gouging, while reprehensible, is not illegal unless it is made so by the state.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: July 18, 2006 2006

  • Foley "engaged in reprehensible conduct," Rep. Chris Chocola, R-Ind., said at a debate here Tuesday night after Joe Donnelly, his Democratic opponent, said in his opening remarks that people were "horrified" to learn about the Foley scandal.

    GOP forced off issues it wants to run on 2006

  • While the Russians and Soviets did not appreciate all that they received - many of the films included warnings that they depicted a "moral and social situation" that was "reprehensible" - they were relatively good at making sure that what they had was kept in good condition in a state film archive.

    Silent films recovered: These new releases are oldest in a long time Peter Finn 2011

  • The man behind some of the most "reprehensible" - in the words of John McCain - GOP attack ads in recent memory is getting involved in Michigan's gubernatorial race.

    MichiganLiberal Eric B. 2010

  • The man behind some of the most "reprehensible" - in the words of John McCain - GOP attack ads in recent memory is getting involved in Michigan's gubernatorial race.

    MichiganLiberal 2010

  • Sanford - who had voted to impeach President Bill Clinton and called Clinton's sexual escapades "reprehensible" - said his relationship with the woman became physical in 2008, when the governor went to Buenos Aires for an economic development trip.

    WISTV - Local News RSS 2009

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