profligate
English
WOTD – 13 October 2007
Etymology
From Latin prōflīgātus (“wretched, abandoned”), participle of prōflīgō (“strike down, cast down”), from pro (“forward”) + fligere (“to strike, dash”).
Pronunciation
- (adjective, noun, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/
- (adjective, noun, US) enPR: prŏʹflĭgət, IPA(key): /ˈpɹɑːflɪɡət/
- (adjective, noun)
Audio (US) (file) - (verb, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɒflɪɡeɪt/
- (verb, US) enPR: prŏʹflĭgāt, IPA(key): /ˈpɹɑːflɪɡeɪt/
- (verb)
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective
profligate (comparative more profligate, superlative most profligate)
- Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
- Immoral; abandoned to vice.
- Roscommon
- a race more profligate than we
- Dryden
- Made prostitute and profligate muse.
- Roscommon
- (obsolete) Overthrown, ruined.
- Hudibras
- The foe is profligate, and run.
- Hudibras
Synonyms
- (inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly): extravagant, wasteful, prodigal
- (immoral, abandoned to vice): immoral, licentious
- See also Thesaurus:prodigal
Derived terms
Translations
inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly
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immoral; abandoned to vice
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
profligate (plural profligates)
- An abandoned person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.
- An overly wasteful or extravagant individual.
Synonyms
- (overly wasteful or extravagant individual): wastrel
- See also Thesaurus:spendthrift and Thesaurus:prodigal
Translations
abandoned person
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Verb
profligate (third-person singular simple present profligates, present participle profligating, simple past and past participle profligated)
- (obsolete) To drive away; to overcome.
- 1840, Alexander Walker, Woman Physiologically Considered as to Mind, Morals, Marriage, Matrimonial Slavery, Infidelity and Divorce, page 157:
- Such a stipulation would remove one powerful temptation to profligate pennyless seducers, of whom there are too many prowling in the higher circles ;
- 1840, Alexander Walker, Woman Physiologically Considered as to Mind, Morals, Marriage, Matrimonial Slavery, Infidelity and Divorce, page 157:
Synonyms
- (to drive away; to overcome): overcome
Related terms
Further reading
- profligate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- profligate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Latin
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