/ ˈskændl; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C , U ] behaviour or an event that people think is morally or legally wrong and causes public feelings of shock or anger :
a series of sex scandals
to cause / create a scandal
The scandal broke (= became known to the public) in May.
There has been no hint of scandal during his time in office.
2.
[ U ] talk or reports about the shocking or immoral things that people have done or are thought to have done :
to spread scandal
newspapers full of scandal
3.
[ sing. ] scandal (that ... ) an action, attitude, etc. that you think is shocking and not at all acceptable
SYN disgrace :
It is a scandal that such a large town has no orchestra.
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense discredit to religion (by the immoral behaviour of a religious person) ): from Old French scandale , from ecclesiastical Latin scandalum cause of offence, from Greek skandalon snare, stumbling block.