scandal

 
Pronunciation: /ˈskand(ə)l/

noun

  • an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage: a bribery scandal involving one of his key supporters
  • [mass noun] the outrage or anger caused by a scandalous action or event: divorce was cause for scandal in the island
  • [mass noun] rumour or malicious gossip about scandalous events or actions: I know that you would want no scandal attached to her name
  • [in singular] a state of affairs regarded as wrong or reprehensible and causing general public outrage or anger: it’s a scandal that many older patients are dismissed as untreatable

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'discredit to religion (by the reprehensible behaviour of a religious person)'): from Old French scandale, from ecclesiastical Latin scandalum 'cause of offence', from Greek skandalon 'snare, stumbling block'