prodigal son

American  

noun

1. a figure in a parable of Jesus (Luke 15:11–32); a wayward son who squanders his inheritance but returns home to find that his father forgives him.

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Prodigal Son Cultural  

1. A character in a parable Jesus told to illustrate how generous God is in forgiving sinners who repent. The Prodigal Son was a young man who asked his father for his inheritance and then left home for “a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.” As his money ran out, a famine occurred, and he went to work tending pigs, but even then he could not get enough to eat. He returned home, knowing that he had given up his right to be treated as his father's son, but hoping that his father would accept him as a hired servant on the farm. Seeing the Prodigal Son coming from a distance, the father rejoiced and ordered the fatted calf to be slaughtered for a feast to celebrate the son's return. The Prodigal Son's elder brother returned from the fields while the feast was going on and was angry. He complained that he had never been treated to such a feast, though he had remained and worked diligently for his father while the Prodigal Son was away. The father reassured him, saying that the elder son would still get his inheritance, but it was right to celebrate the return of the Prodigal Son: “For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”

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Etymology

Origin of prodigal son

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

He may have seemed ready for a homecoming in 1981, but MTT’s appointment as principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic did not prove to be the return of the prodigal son.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

A woman would ask for wisdom in dealing with a prodigal son.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

Back then, Strasburg’s contract was seen as a major win for the Nationals — the prodigal son who decided to stay home.

From Washington Times • Aug. 24, 2023

Whoever organised this return of a prodigal son will be doing so with understandable caution.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2023

When the prodigal son comes home in Luke 15:20, “His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman