scandal

scandal — noun

1. an event in which a person or organization behaves in ways the public finds shoc

1.nounB2
Definition

an event in which a person or organization behaves in ways the public finds shocking and unacceptable because those actions violate moral or legal standards.

Example

The mayor resigned after a scandal involving government funds.

collocation: scandal involving [topic]

A financial scandal at the bank caused many local families to lose their savings.

collocation: financial scandal

Common collocations
  • political scandal
  • financial scandal
  • corruption scandal
  • sex scandal
  • scandal breaks/erupts
  • be caught up in a scandal
  • scandal hits/rocks
Synonyms
  • outrage

    focuses on the public anger rather than the event itself; stronger emotional charge

  • disgrace

    broader term for loss of respect; does not always involve public exposure

  • controversy

    involves strong disagreement but not necessarily wrongdoing or illegality

Grammar Patterns

scandal + about/involving/over

be involved in a scandal

scandal breaks/erupts

Usage Note

Often paired with a modifier that names the type of wrongdoing: financial, political, corruption, or sex scandal. This sense is usually countable — you refer to 'a scandal' or 'scandals.'

Common Mistakes

The scandal was spread by the media.
Details of the scandal were published by the media.
A scandal is the event itself, not the reports; use 'rumors' or 'gossip' for talk about wrongdoing.

2. stories that people tell or read about someone's shameful or illegal behavior, e

2.nounB2
Definition

stories that people tell or read about someone's shameful or illegal behavior, especially personal details that could hurt the person's reputation.

Example

The tabloid magazine is full of scandal about celebrities and their private lives.

collocation: full of scandal about

Matthew refused to spread scandal about his former colleagues after leaving the office.

collocation: spread scandal about

Common collocations
  • full of scandal
  • spread scandal
  • share scandal
  • scandal about
  • scandal surrounding
Synonyms
  • gossip

    less serious; can be about harmless topics, not just wrongdoing

  • rumors

    may or may not be true; scandal implies the stories are about bad behavior

  • dirt

    informal; emphasizes damaging, secret information

Grammar Patterns

scandal about + person

spread scandal

be full of scandal

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to gossip in general ('the media thrives on scandal'). Countable when referring to a specific piece of gossip ('several scandals about the senator's past').

3. a situation that people find shocking and completely unacceptable because of how

3.nounB2
Definition

a situation that people find shocking and completely unacceptable because of how unfair, shameful, or poorly managed it is.

Example

The school has no money for basic textbooks — it is a real scandal.

pattern: it is a [adjective] scandal

Brooke called the terrible condition of the public hospital an absolute scandal.

collocation: absolute scandal

Common collocations
  • absolute scandal
  • national scandal
  • public scandal
  • it is a scandal that
  • what a scandal
Synonyms
  • disgrace

    very close in meaning; often interchangeable in this sense

  • outrage

    emphasizes the anger felt, rather than the situation itself

  • shame

    less formal; 'it's a shame' can also mean merely regrettable, while 'scandal' implies serious wrongdoing

Grammar Patterns

it is a scandal that…

what a scandal!

be a [adjective] scandal

Usage Note

Common in the pattern 'it is a scandal that + [clause]' to express strong disapproval of a situation. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not necessarily involve an active wrongdoing — it describes a state of affairs.

scandal — verb

Word family

  • scandalous
    adjectiveB2
  • scandalously
    adverbC1
  • scandalize
    verbC1
  • scandalmonger
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe negative public reactions but differ in emphasis. A scandal is a specific event involving wrongdoing that becomes publicly known — the focus is on the act itself and the damage it causes. An outrage is the strong anger people feel in response, rather than the event itself; you can have an outrage without a clear wrongdoing (e.g. 'the decision caused public outrage'). A disgrace is a broader loss of respect that may or may not involve public exposure — someone can privately disgrace their family without a media scandal. A controversy involves heated disagreement between opposing sides but does not necessarily involve wrongdoing; controversies can be about opinions, policies, or interpretations. For example: 'The funding scandal forced the senator to resign.' (wrongdoing exposed) vs. 'The new tax law caused a controversy.' (disagreement, no wrongdoing assumed).

scandal ↗outrage ↗disgrace ↗controversy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • be at the centre of a scandal
  • be embroiled in a scandal
  • be rocked by a scandal

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

From Late Latin scandalum, meaning 'cause of offense' or 'stumbling block,' which came from Greek skandalon, originally a 'trap' or 'snare' for catching animals. In early English, the word was used in religious contexts for behavior that caused others to lose faith. By the 1500s, it had broadened to refer to general public disgrace and shameful behavior.