Dictionary.com

flagellant

[ flaj-uh-luhnt, fluh-jel-uhnt ]
/ ˈflædʒ ə lənt, fləˈdʒɛl ənt /
Save This Word!

noun
a person who flagellates or scourges their own body for religious discipline.
a person who derives sexual pleasure from whipping or being whipped by another person.
(often initial capital letter) one of a medieval European sect of fanatics who practiced scourging in public.
adjective
severely criticizing: a flagellant attack on the opposition party.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of flagellant

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin flagellant- (stem of flagellāns ) “whipping,” present participle of flagellāre; see flagellum, -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM flagellant

flag·el·lant·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flagellant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flagellant

flagellant

flagellator (ˈflædʒɪˌleɪtə)

/ (ˈflædʒɪlənt, fləˈdʒɛlənt) /

noun
a person who whips himself or others either as part of a religious penance or for sexual gratification
(often capital) (in medieval Europe) a member of a religious sect who whipped themselves in public

Derived forms of flagellant

flagellantism, noun

Word Origin for flagellant

C16: from Latin flagellāre to whip, from flagellum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK