original sin; inherited guilt; inherent flaw
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
(Christianity) original sin; the sin committed by Adam and Eve in Eden and inherited by all humanity
formalA core theological doctrine in Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy), distinct from 'actual sin' (本罪). It necessitates baptism for salvation and is closely related to concepts of redemption and grace.
Christian doctrine holds that humans are born with original sin.
Baptism is the sacrament in Christianity that washes away original sin.
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Adam and Eve's defiance of God's command by stealing and eating the forbidden fruit is regarded as the beginning of original sin.
noun
(figurative) original sin; inherent flaw; root cause of problems built into a system
formalExtended metaphorical usage in political, social, and historical analysis to describe deep-seated, structural flaws or historical burdens that are considered innate to a system or nation.
This colonial history has become the original sin of this nation, affecting its modern development.
The inequality in this institutional design is regarded as the original sin of social injustice.