depraving

Depraving is the act or process of corrupting someone morally or leading them away from virtuous conduct. As a verb in the present participle form, it denotes causing moral corruption through influence, instruction, or enticement. When used in legal or moral discourse, the phrase “deprave and corrupt the morals” is a classic formulation describing acts that aim to corrupt a person’s character, particularly youths.

Etymology and history: The term derives from the Middle English depraven, via Old French depraver, from Latin depravare, de- “away” + pravus “crooked, rotten.” It shares roots with depravity and deprave, and has long appeared in religious, ethical, and legal texts as a charge or description of moral harm.

Usage: In contemporary writing, depraving is comparatively rare and tends to appear in historical or formal contexts. The more common noun is depravity; the related verb deprave is used in similar ways but is also infrequent. The gerund can describe ongoing influence: “the depraving of youth by unsettling media” or “the depraving of public morals.”

Examples: The court charged the author with depraving the morals of minors. Critics argued that the material was depraving to readers.

See also: depravity, deprave, debauchery.