The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

In Catholicism, the classification of deadly sins into a group of seven originated with Tertullian and continued with Evagrius Ponticus. The concepts were partly based on Greco-Roman and Biblical antecedents. Later, the concept of seven deadly sins evolved further, as shown by historical context based on the Latin language of the Roman Catholic Church, though with significant influence from the Greek language and associated religious traditions. Knowledge of this concept is evident in various treatises; in paintings and sculpture (for example, architectural decorations on churches in some Catholic parishes); and in some older textbooks. Further knowledge has been derived from patterns of confession.

During later centuries and in modern times, the idea of sins (especially seven in number) has influenced or inspired various streams of religious and philosophical thought, fine art painting, and modern popular media such as literature, film, and television.

With reference to the seven deadly sins, "evil thoughts" can be categorized as follows:

The fourth-century monk Evagrius Ponticus reduced the logismoi (or forms of temptation) from nine to eight in number, as follows:

Evagrius's list was translated into the Latin of Western Christianity in many writings of John Cassian, one of Evagrius’s students; the list thus become part of the Western tradition's spiritual pietas or Catholic devotions as follows:

In AD 590, Pope Gregory I revised this list into the form that has become common. He combined tristitia with acedia; combined vanagloria with superbia; and added envy, which is invidia in Latin. (Pope Gregory's list corresponds to the traits described in Pirkei Avot as "removing one from the world.") Thomas Aquinas uses and defends Gregory's list in his Summa Theologica, although he calls them the "capital sins", because they are the head and form of all the other sins. Christian denominations, such as the Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church, and Methodist Church, still retain this list; modern evangelists such as Billy Graham have explicated it.

According to Catholic prelate Henry Edward Manning, the seven deadly sins are seven ways to eternal death (or Hell). The Lutheran divine Martin Chemnitz, who contributed to the development of Lutheran systematic theology, implored clergy to remind faithful congregations about the seven deadly sins.