| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| scandal |
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| SYLLABICATION: | scan·dal |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  sk n dl |
| NOUN: | 1. A publicized incident that brings about disgrace or offends the moral sensibilities of society: a drug scandal that forced the mayor's resignation. 2. A person, thing, or circumstance that causes or ought to cause disgrace or outrage: a politician whose dishonesty is a scandal; considered the housing shortage a scandal. 3. Damage to reputation or character caused by public disclosure of immoral or grossly improper behavior; disgrace. 4. Talk that is damaging to one's character; malicious gossip. | | ETYMOLOGY: | French scandale, from Old French, cause of sin, from Latin scandalum, trap, stumbling block, temptation, from Greek skandalon. See skand- in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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