Evil or wicked behavior; the actions of a villain or the quality of being evil and harmful.
From Old French 'vilenie,' related to 'villain' (originally meaning peasant or farmworker, later 'dishonorable person'). The meaning shifted over time to emphasize the moral badness rather than social status.
It's wild that 'villain' originally just meant a peasant or farm worker—the word changed because medieval writers (who were usually educated nobles) used it dismissively for anyone common or lowborn, and 'morally bad' became the default association!
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