licentious

[lahy-sen-shuhs]

See more synonyms for licentious on Thesaurus.com

adjective

sexually unrestrained; lascivious; libertine; lewd.
unrestrained by law or general morality; lawless; immoral.
going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.

Origin of licentious

First recorded in 1525–35, licentious is from the Latin word licentiōsus unrestrained. See license, -ous

Related formsli·cen·tious·ly, adverbli·cen·tious·ness, nounnon·li·cen·tious, adjectivenon·li·cen·tious·ly, adverbnon·li·cen·tious·ness, nouno·ver·li·cen·tious, adjectiveo·ver·li·cen·tious·ly, adverbo·ver·li·cen·tious·ness, nounun·li·cen·tious, adjectiveun·li·cen·tious·ly, adverbun·li·cen·tious·ness, noun

Can be confusedlascivious licentious

Synonyms for licentious

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2. abandoned, profligate.

Antonyms for licentious

2. lawful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for licentiousness

impropriety, dissolution, excess, unruliness, laxity, anarchy, sensuality, slackness, temerity, prodigality, presumptuousness, debauchery, arrogance, dissoluteness, lawlessness, boldness, complacency, sauciness, forwardness, relaxation

Examples from the Web for licentiousness

Contemporary Examples of licentiousness

But the show is deeply concerned with her growing up as a proxy for American capitalism and licentiousness.
‘Mad Men,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Americans’: Reading Prestige TV Dramas as YA Fiction
Alyssa Rosenberg
April 10, 2013

Historical Examples of licentiousness

Flirtation has its origin either in dishonesty or licentiousness.
The Wedding Ring
T. De Witt Talmage
When good, they constitute virtue; when bad, licentiousness.
Notes and Queries, Number 186, May 21, 1853
Various
They were always gamblers and the devotees of licentiousness.
The Root of Evil
Thomas Dixon
They set apart one day in ten, not for religion, but for idleness and licentiousness.
Popular Education
Ira Mayhew
Drunkenness and licentiousness are frequently the heritage of posterity.
Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners
B.G. Jefferis

British Dictionary definitions for licentiousness

licentious

adjective

sexually unrestrained or promiscuous
rare showing disregard for convention

Derived Formslicentiously, adverblicentiousness, noun

Word Origin for licentious

C16: from Latin licentiōsus capricious, from licentia licence

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

Word Origin and History for licentiousness

licentious

adj.

"morally unrestrained," 1530s, from Medieval Latin licentiosus "full of license, unrestrained," from Latin licentia (see license). Related: Licentiously; licentiousness.