1. the quality or state of being extremely wicked, evil, or morally reprehensible
Usage: abstract noun; typically used in formal or legal contexts

Examples

• The heinousness of the crime shocked the entire community.
• The judge emphasized the heinousness of the defendant's actions in her sentencing.
• History remembers the heinousness of that regime's human rights violations.
• Few would dispute the heinousness of slavery.
• The heinousness of the attack was evident to all who witnessed it.
• Legal scholars debated whether the heinousness of the offense warranted the maximum penalty.