licentious
Americanadjective
-
sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd.
-
unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral.
- Synonyms:
- profligate, abandoned
- Antonyms:
- lawful
-
going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.
adjective
-
sexually unrestrained or promiscuous
-
rare showing disregard for convention
Other Word Forms
- licentiously adverb
- licentiousness noun
- nonlicentious adjective
- nonlicentiously adverb
- overlicentious adjective
- overlicentiously adverb
- unlicentious adjective
- unlicentiously adverb
Etymology
Origin of licentious
First recorded in 1525–35, licentious is from the Latin word licentiōsus “unrestrained”; license, -ous
Explanation
Someone who is licentious behaves or speaks inappropriately, usually in regards to sex. What some might call a licentious senior citizen, others would simply refer to as "a dirty old man" (or woman). We usually talk about licentious behavior, but there also can be licentious photographs. Besides being inappropriate, licentious behavior is also usually regarded as immoral. If at all possible, therefore, licentious is a description you should seek to avoid for yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing licentious
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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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.
Monica dedicated her life to prayers for the salvation of her family, especially her disreputable and licentious son, Augustine.
From Washington Post • May 10, 2018
The gangster of the ’30s belonged to an era of licentious chaos.
From Slate • Sep. 1, 2017
But I also talked with people who used the app for less licentious reasons: to form platonic friendships, or to find companions while traveling abroad.
From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2015
In a heated exchange, DSK accused prosecutors of making exaggerated claims to paint him as a licentious figure.
From Time • Feb. 13, 2015
This man—the traitor, the coward, the licentious liver—was in his pay for a term of six months.
From Grit Lawless by Young, F.E. Mills
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.
