licentious

UK/laɪˈsɛn.ʃəs/US/laɪˈsɛn.ʃəs/

adjectiveC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,773 of 15,258neutral

Licentious means ignoring the usual moral limits, especially in sex. Licentious behaviour, a licentious court, licentious verse.

It is a disapproving and rather old-fashioned word, and it belongs to history writing more than to modern speech. Underneath it is licence in its bad sense, which is freedom taken too far.

Definitions of licentious

1adjectivelicentiousIgnoring the usual moral limits, especially in sex.C2
“The pamphlet attacked the licentious manners of the court.”

licentious is a quality.

Where it comes from

Latin licentiosus comes from licentia, freedom or licence, from licere, to be allowed.

Latin
licentiōsus
English, today
licentious

Built from

licentia · Latin — license, freedom

From Latin licentiōsus, from licentia (“license, freedom”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

licentious in the wild

The cordax, was a provocative, licentious, and often obscene mask dance of ancient Greek comedy.
Cordax
Due to its licentious nature the letter was not published in collections of Franklin's papers in the United States during the 19th century.
Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress
Local myth provides many tales of provocative, licentious and sometimes criminal goings on.
43 Club
In 2010 the carnival was revived in a watered-down version unlike the licentious original.
Baklahorani
Gao Baoxu has been described as a profligate and licentious ruler.
Gao Baoxu

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the licentia family

license

licentious — used about once every 81,824 pages · #14,773 · point at the bar for the others

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