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

Derived Forms

• ˈpeccancy, noun
• ˈpeccantly, adverb

Other Words From

• peccan·cy peccant·ness noun
• peccant·ly 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

This ultimate salvation of all mankind, and of all peccant spirits, is a conspicuous doctrine of Mr Bailey's.

From Project Gutenberg

The first was to observe strict "propriety" in her books—a point in which the novel had always been a little peccant.

From Project Gutenberg

Betty, not really knowing what she was doing, bent over the peccant milkman's book.

From Project Gutenberg

It would be easy to crush up a peccant borough or two,—a borough that had been discovered in its sin.

From Project Gutenberg

This idea had occurred to Joe from his remembrance of a peccant hound in the grasp of a tyrant whip.

From Project Gutenberg