libertine

American  

[lib-er-teen, -tin] / ˈlɪb ərˌtin, -tɪn /

noun

1. a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, especially a dissolute man; a profligate; rake.

   Synonyms:

   sensualist, lecher, debauchee, roué

   Antonyms:

   prude

2. a freethinker in religious matters.

3. a person freed from slavery in ancient Rome.

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adjective

1. free of moral, especially sexual, restraint; dissolute; licentious.

   Synonyms:

   lewd, lascivious, sensual, amoral

2. freethinking in religious matters.

3. Archaic. unrestrained; uncontrolled.

libertine British  

/ ˈlɪbəˌtiːn, -ˌtaɪn /

noun

1. a morally dissolute person

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adjective

1. morally dissolute

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• libertinage
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

Nothing of that sort, Clopper—no, no—'pon honor—little Bob Stubbs is no LIBERTINE; and the story is very simple.

From The Fatal Boots by Thackeray, William Makepeace