peccant

[pek-uhnt]

adjective

1. sinning; guilty of a moral offense.

2. violating a rule, principle, or established practice; faulty; wrong.

peccant

/ ˈpɛkənt /

adjective

1. guilty of an offence; corrupt

2. violating or disregarding a rule; faulty

3. producing disease; morbid

Other Word Forms

• peccancy noun
• peccantness noun
• peccantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of peccant¹

1595–1605; < Latin peccant- (stem of peccāns ), present participle of peccāre to err, offend; -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of peccant¹

C17: from Latin peccans, from peccāre to sin

Example Sentences

Many of these eruptions are considered of a critical and salutary nature; and the ancients fancied that nature relieved herself by throwing upon the surface some “peccant humours.”

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Was a crusade to be preached, for the annihilation of the peccant race?

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Is it not always humiliating to be treated like a peccant school-boy?

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Landlord and maidens must be instantly released with full apologies, with substantial damages in the future, which should be extorted from the pay of the truculent and peccant braves.

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Nor did the peccant Lieutenant James think it worth while to resign his commission.

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