original sin

noun

"original-sin" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“original sin” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Adam's disobedience to God.

Key facts for original sin
PropertyValue
Headwordoriginal sin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “original sin” sits in English frequency

original sin falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

original sin is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for original sin in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Calque of Latin peccātum orīgināle, a phrase used by 4th-century Berber theologian and saint Augustine of Hippo in his interpretations of the Bible. The correct English form is original sin, spelled O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L- -S-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Adam's disobedience to God.
  2. 2
    The state of sinfulness, present in each human from birth, which is a result of Adam's disobedience.
  3. 3
    The misdeed partially or entirely responsible for all of the similar ones after it.

Etymology

Calque of Latin peccātum orīgināle, a phrase used by 4th-century Berber theologian and saint Augustine of Hippo in his interpretations of the Bible.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "original sin"?
"original sin" is spelled O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L- -S-I-N.
What does "original sin" mean?
As a noun, "original sin" means: Adam's disobedience to God.
What is the origin of the word "original sin"?
Calque of Latin peccātum orīgināle, a phrase used by 4th-century Berber theologian and saint Augustine of Hippo in his interpretations of the Bible. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “original sin”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L- -S-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list