libertine
Americannoun
-
a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, especially a dissolute man; a profligate; rake.
- Synonyms:
- sensualist, lecher, debauchee, roué
- Antonyms:
- prude
-
a freethinker in religious matters.
-
a person freed from slavery in ancient Rome.
adjective
-
free of moral, especially sexual, restraint; dissolute; licentious.
- Synonyms:
- lewd, lascivious, sensual, amoral
-
freethinking in religious matters.
-
Archaic. unrestrained; uncontrolled.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of libertine
1350–1400; Middle English libertyn < Latin lībertīnus of a freedman (adj.), freedman (noun), equivalent to lībert ( us ) freedman (apparently by reanalysis of liber-tās liberty as libert-ās ) + -īnus -ine 1
Explanation
If you drink a lot, eat a lot, and live a wild and unrestrained life, you might be called a libertine. A libertine is someone who lives life unencumbered by morals. Although it can be used neutrally, often if someone calls you a libertine, they disapprove of your lack of morality. In the 14th century, a libertine was "a freed slave," from the Latin liber, "free." Starting in the mid-1500s, libertine had a religious and political connotation, referring to a group that opposed Calvinism. By the nineteenth century, the word became strongly associated with immorality and debauchery.
Vocabulary lists containing libertine
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Libertine, Le Coucou, and Château Royale pack in diners who want the mood of Paris with the volume of a party.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025
The series has flashbacks from James Whitehouse's time at Oxford University, where he was part of a private all-male dining club called The Libertine Club.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2022
The message "Hold police accountable" was spray-painted on the garage and other anti-police message were scrawled on the streets and on the outside of Libertine restaurant.
From Fox News • Jun. 7, 2021
Known for items with whimsical screen-printing and embroideries, Libertine launched in 2001, and sells at Bergdorf Goodman and Maxfield among other stores.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2019
Sister Libertine with beaming looks pushes him over to his former bed.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
