profligate

1 of 2

adjective

prof·​li·​gate ˈprä-fli-gət 

-ˌgāt

1

: wildly extravagant

profligate spending

2

: completely given up to dissipation and licentiousness : shamelessly immoral

leading a profligate life

profligately adverb

profligate

2 of 2

noun

prof·​li·​gate ˈprä-fli-gət 

-ˌgāt

: a person given to wildly extravagant and usually grossly self-indulgent expenditure

Did you know?

Don't Get Overwhelmed by the History of Profligate

When a royal record keeper reported the "profligation of the knights" almost five centuries ago, he didn't mean the knights were wildly indulging in excesses; he meant they were thoroughly defeated in battle. There's nothing etymologically extreme there; the Latin verb profligare, which is the root of both profligate and the much rarer profligation (meaning "ruin"), means "to strike down," "to destroy," or "to overwhelm." When the adjective profligate first appeared in print in English it meant "overthrown" or "overwhelmed," (a sense that is now obsolete) but over time the word's meaning shifted to "immoral" or "wildly extravagant."

Synonyms

Adjective

• extravagant
• high-rolling
• prodigal
• spendthrift
• squandering
• thriftless
• unthrifty
• wasteful

Noun

• fritterer
• high roller
• prodigal
• spender
• spendthrift
• squanderer
• waster
• wastrel

Examples of profligate in a Sentence

Adjective

In a curious way, part of the genius of America has been a collective forgetfulness, a talent for somehow outdistancing problems in a headlong race toward something new. It is a form of heedlessness, perhaps, blithe and profligate, but also an exuberant forward spin that may spare people the exhausting obligations of revenge. —Lance Morrow, Time, 4 Apr. 1988

Sure, the trade deficit symbolizes a profligate America, consuming more than it produces and spending more than it has. —Philip Revzin, Wall Street Journal, 17 Mar. 17, 1988

Everyone seemed fond of statistics, but the counterterrorism experts were especially profligate with numbers. —Kurt Andersen, Time, 24 June 1985

She was very profligate in her spending.

profligate movie producers hoping to create the next blockbuster

Noun

"Why did you ask that scoundrel, Rawdon Crawley, to dine?" said the Rector to his lady, as they were walking home through the park. "I don't want the fellow. He looks down upon us country people as so many blackamoors.  … Besides, he's such an infernal character—he's a gambler—he's a drunkard—he's a profligate in every way." —William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848

a profligate who could not really afford the grand style he maintained at Monticello, Jefferson died deeply in debt

a drunken profligate, he was given to wretched excess in every aspect of his life

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Germans were angry, too, resentful at bankrolling other people’s profligate ways. —Robert Kagan, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2019

He would also be lashed, something else that doesn’t tend to happen to profligate auteurs in the West. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2024

Noun

In some ways, the game was set up for him, with Villa profligate but still regularly creating chances. —Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024

The monarchy and the British government, which provides significant financial support for the institution, have long faced a careful balancing act: Both have worked to maintain the pomp and circumstance of the institution while avoiding looking profligate. —WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin profligatus, from past participle of profligare to strike down, from pro- forward, down + -fligare (akin to fligere to strike); akin to Greek phlibein to squeeze

First Known Use

Adjective

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1709, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

profligate

adjective

prof·​li·​gate

ˈpräf-li-gət

1

: wicked in character or morals : dissipated

2

: very wasteful

profligate noun