peccability

Peccability is the capacity to commit sin, derived from the Latin peccare "to sin" with the suffix -bilitas indicating capability. In English usage it appears mainly in theological and philosophical contexts to describe beings that possess freedom and moral responsibility to choose wrongdoing.

In Christian thought, peccability is often linked to the fallenness of humanity. Humans are described as peccable because they have free will and are susceptible to temptation and sin. Some traditions connect peccability to original sin and the fallen state, while others emphasize a preternatural or acquired tendency toward sin.

Impeccability, by contrast, denotes the absence of the capacity to sin. It is attributed to the divine nature and is widely discussed in Christology regarding the person of Jesus: while being truly human, Jesus is believed to be sinless, though whether his human will was peccable is debated. Some theologians hold that Christ possessed a genuine human will synchronized with his divine will, allowing temptation without sin; others describe a broader, preeminent impossibility of sin.

Angels are another domain for the term: created beings with free will whose decisions led to the fall of some; the doctrine of angelic peccability varies by tradition, with emphasis on freedom before and after the fall.

In secular philosophy, peccability can be used to discuss moral agency, responsibility, and the conditions under which individuals can be said to have sinned or be morally accountable.