The Collaborative International Dictionary
Original \O*rig"i*nal\, a. [F. original, L. originalis.]
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Pertaining to the origin or beginning; preceding all others; first in order; primitive; primary; pristine; as, the original state of man; the original laws of a country; the original inventor of a process.
His form had yet not lost All her original brightness.
--Milton. Not copied, imitated, or translated; new; fresh; genuine; as, an original thought; an original process; the original text of Scripture.
Having the power to suggest new thoughts or combinations of thought; inventive; as, an original genius.
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Before unused or unknown; new; as, a book full of original matter.
Original sin (Theol.), the first sin of Adam, as related to its consequences to his descendants of the human race; -- called also total depravity. See Calvinism.
Wiktionary
n. (context religion English) Calvinist doctrine that all human action is tainted by original sin
WordNet
n. the Calvinist doctrine that everyone is born in a state of corruption as a result of original sin
Wikipedia
Total depravity (also called radical corruption, or pervasive depravity) is a theological doctrine derived from the Augustinian concept of original sin. It is the teaching that, as a consequence of the Fall of Man, every person born into the world is enslaved to the service of sin as a result of their fallen nature and, apart from the efficacious or prevenient grace of God, is utterly unable to choose to follow God, refrain from evil, or accept the gift of salvation as it is offered.
It is advocated to various degrees by many Protestant confessions of faith and catechisms, including those of some Lutheran synods, and Calvinism. Arminians, such as Methodists, hold to depravity, albeit not in the same way as the Reformed.
Usage examples of "total depravity".
Their young imaginations had been inflamed with stories of the total depravity of the Unionists until they believed it was a meritorious thing to seize every opportunity to exterminate them.
Even Christians, if they accept in certain forms the doctrine of total depravity, are not always free from the danger.
And all that appears now is that you think you have some talent, and are bashful about saying so: you want to sing, with some vague notion of benefiting mankind in general, and raising people a little above the mire of total depravity in which God has placed them.
To Morgaine, it was total depravity, although she now understood the full extent of the spell.
The fact that the demure little nurserymaid proclaimed her guilt proudly was taken as evidence of total depravity.
It was an ocular demonstration of the total depravity of the Yankees.
He hopes his 'dear James' will never forget that 'who once gives way to temptation, in the very instant hazards his total depravity and everlasting ruin.