Breaking a religious or moral rule; doing something considered wrong or wicked.
From Old English 'syngian' and Germanic roots. Likely connected to 'sun' (truth) in some ancient languages—'sinning' literally meant missing the mark or deviating from truth.
The original meaning of 'sin' comes from archery—it meant 'missing the target,' which is why religious leaders used it as a metaphor for missing the moral mark, making sin about failure rather than just evil.
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