pravo

Etymology

From Latin prāvus (“depraved” ← “deformed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpra.vo/, [ˈpr̺äːvo̞]
• Stress: pràvo
• Hyphenation: pra‧vo

Adjective

pravo (feminine singular prava, masculine plural pravi, feminine plural prave) (archaic, literary)

1. depraved, evil, wicked
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback, in Italian), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto III, lines 82–84, page 41–42:

     Ed ecco verso noi venir per nave ¶ un vecchio, bianco per antico pelo, ¶ gridando: «Guai a voi, anime prave! […] »

     And lo! towards us coming in a boat ¶ an old man, hoary with the hair of eld, ¶ crying: "Woe unto you, ye souls depraved!"

   • 1831, Giacomo Leopardi, Paralipomeni della Batracomiomachia [Paralipomena of the Batrachomyomachia]‎ (in Italian), Paris, published 1842, Canto I, page 13:

     Molte genti provàr dure vicende, ¶ e prave diventàr per lungo affanno;

     Many people went through hard tribulations ¶ and became wicked because of the long affliction

   • Synonyms: cattivo, dannato, maligno, malo, malvagio, nequitoso
   • Antonyms: benigno, buono, onesto, probo, retto
2. (by extension) cruel, merciless, ruthless
   • 1374, Francesco Petrarca, “Trionfo d'Amore [Triumph of Love]”, in I trionfi [The Triumphs]‎ (in Italian), Milan: Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli, published 1997, lines 40–42:

     Poi vedi come Amor crudele e pravo ¶ vince Davit e sforzalo a far l’opra ¶ onde poi pianga in loco oscuro e cavo.

     See then how love, vicious and cruel ¶ overcame David, leading him to a sin ¶ he was to weep for in a dark retreat.

   • Synonyms: crudele, spietato
   • Antonyms: compassionevole, misericordioso, pietoso

Noun

pravo m (plural pravi)

1. A wicked or evil person (male)
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback, in Italian), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto XIX, lines 103–105, page 288:

     io userei parole ancor più gravi; ¶ ché la vostra avarizia il mondo attrista, ¶ calcando i buoni e sollevando i pravi.

     I would make use of words more grievous still; ¶ because your avarice afflicts the world, ¶ trampling the good and lifting the depraved.

   • Synonyms: cattivo, malvagio
   • Antonym: buono

Anagrams

• prova

Adjective

prāvō

1. dative masculine singular of prāvus
2. dative neuter singular of prāvus
3. ablative masculine singular of prāvus
4. ablative neuter plural of prāvus

Etymology 1

From prȁv.

Etymology 2

Morphologically from prȁv, a calque of German Recht and French droit.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpráːʋɔ/
• Tonal orthography: prȃvo

Noun

právo n (genitive práva, nominative plural práva)

1. law