profligate

English

WOTD - 13 October 2007    

Etymology

From Latin prōflīgātus (“wretched, abandoned”), participle of prōflīgō (“strike down, cast down”), from pro (“forward”) + fligere (“to strike, dash”)

Pronunciation 1

• (RP) IPA: /ˈprɒflɪɡət/
• (US) enPR: prŏʹflĭgət, IPA: /ˈprɑːflɪɡət/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

profligate (comparative more profligate, superlative most profligate)

1. Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
2. Immoral; abandoned to vice.

Synonyms

• (inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly): extravagant, wasteful, prodigal
• (immoral, abandoned to vice): immoral, licentious
• See also Wikisaurus:prodigal

Derived terms

• profligateness

Translations

inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly

Finnish: tuhlaavainen (fi) Hungarian: tékozló (hu)

Russian: неэкономный (ru), расточительный (ru)

immoral; abandoned to vice

Armenian: անառակ (hy) (anaṙak) Finnish: paheellinen (fi)

Hungarian: erkölcstelen (hu), feslett (hu) Russian: распутный (ru), развратный (ru)

Noun

profligate (plural profligates)

1. An abandoned person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.
2. An overly wasteful or extravagant individual.

Synonyms

• (overly wasteful or extravagant individual): wastrel
• See also Wikisaurus:spendthrift and Wikisaurus:prodigal

Translations

abandoned person

Russian: развратник (ru) m., распутник (ru) m.

overly wasteful or extravagant individual

Russian: расточитель (ru) m., транжир (ru) m., мот (ru) m.

Pronunciation 2

• (RP) IPA: /ˈprɒflɪɡeɪt/
• (US) enPR: prŏʹflĭgāt, IPA: /ˈprɑːflɪɡeɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

profligate (third-person singular simple present profligates, present participle profligating, simple past and past participle profligated)

1. (obsolete) To drive away; to overcome.
   • 1840, Alexander Walker, Woman Physiologically Considered as to Mind, Morals, Marriage, Matrimonial Slavery, Infidelity and Divorce, page 157:

     Such a stipulation would remove one powerful temptation to profligate pennyless seducers, of whom there are too many prowling in the higher circles ;

Synonyms

• (to drive away; to overcome): overcome

Related terms

• profligacy
• profligately
• profligateness
• profligation

External links

• profligate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• profligate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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Latin

Adjective

prōflīgāte

1. vocative masculine singular of prōflīgātus