scandal
n. C / Un. a shocking event or situation that makes people angry because it is morally wrong or illegal. It usually involves famous people or leaders and causes a lot of public talk.
n. an event or action that causes public outrage or shock due to a perceived violation of moral or legal standards. Often involves the exposure of misconduct by public figures.
The political scandal led to the leader's resignation.
The local newspaper uncovered a financial scandal involving the misuse of public funds by city officials.
While some scandals fade from memory within weeks, those involving systemic corruption often trigger long-term legislative reforms and a permanent shift in public trust.
From Middle French scandale (“indignation caused by misconduct or defamatory speech”), from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“that on which one trips, cause of offense”, literally “stumbling block”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “a trap laid for an enemy, a cause of moral stumbling”), from Proto-Indo-European *skand- (“to jump”). Cognate with Latin scandō (“to climb”). First attested from Old Northern French escandle, but the modern word is a reborrowing. Doublet, via Old French esclandre, of slander. Sense evolution from "cause of stumbling, that which causes one to sin, stumbling block" to "discredit to reputation, that which brings shame, thing of disgrace" is possibly due to early influence from other similar sounding words for infamy and disgrace (compare Old English scand (“ignominity, scandal, disgraceful thing”), Old High German scanda (“ignominy, disgrace”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 (skanda, “shame, disgrace”)). See shand, shend, shonda.
Countable when referring to a specific event; uncountable when referring to the general atmosphere of shock or the talk surrounding such events.