miscreant

English

WOTD – 27 April 2009

Alternative forms

• miscreaunt (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French mescreant (1080) "mis-believer", present participle of mescroire "to misbelieve" (modern mécroire).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: mĭsʹkrē-ənt, IPA^(key): /ˈmɪs.kri.ənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

miscreant ‎(comparative more miscreant, superlative most miscreant)

1. Lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous.
2. (theology) Holding an incorrect religious belief.

Translations

lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous

• Czech: ničemný

• Russian: развращённый (ru) ‎(razvraščónnyj)

holding an incorrect religious belief

• Czech: kacířský
• Esperanto: άπιστος
• French: mécréant (fr)

• Russian: еретический (ru) ‎(jeretičeskij)

Noun

miscreant ‎(plural miscreants)

1. One who has behaved badly, or illegally.

   The teacher sent the miscreants to see the school principal.

2. One not restrained by moral principles; an unscrupulous villain.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Addison to this entry?)

3. (theology) One who holds a false religious belief; a misbeliever.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of De Quincey to this entry?)

   • Rivers

     Thou oughtest not to be slothful to the destruction of the miscreants, but to constrain them to obey our Lord God.

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see Citations:miscreant.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:troublemaker
• See also Wikisaurus:villain

Translations

one who has behaved badly or illegally

• Czech: ničema m

one not restrained by moral principles

• Czech: ničema m

one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever

• Arabic: فَاسِق m ‎(fāsiq)
• Czech: kacíř (cs) m, nevěrec m
• French: mécréant (fr) m, mécréante (fr) f

• German: Missetäter m, Missetäterin f
• Turkish: fasık (tr)