licentious

American  

[lahy-sen-shuhs] / laɪˈsɛn ʃəs /

adjective

1. sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd.

2. unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral.

   Synonyms:

   profligate, abandoned

   Antonyms:

   lawful

3. going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.

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licentious British  

/ laɪˈsɛnʃəs /

adjective

1. sexually unrestrained or promiscuous

2. rare showing disregard for convention

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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

Example Sentences

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

They were middle class, not rich but stable, and the church provided an enveloping community; Kimbanguists follow strict rules, which forbid alcohol, tobacco, visiting night clubs, and other licentious entertainment.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 9, 2015

In a heated exchange, DSK accused prosecutors of making exaggerated claims to paint him as a licentious figure.

From Time • Feb. 13, 2015

Judged by the standards of his day, there is little offense in Hogarth's work; even when measured by our own, he is not deliberately licentious.

From The History of the Nineteenth Century in Caricature by Cooper, Frederic Taber