Wantonness is reckless disregard for restraint or decency. Sheer wantonness, the wantonness of the damage, moral wantonness.
It covers both cruelty done for no reason and loose living, and the first is the commoner modern use. Wanton once meant simply undisciplined, from a word for badly brought up.
1nounwantonnessReckless disregard for restraint or decency.
“The judge described the wantonness of the damage as the worst part.”
wantonness is a recklessness.
Middle English wantoun is wan-, lacking, plus towen, brought up or disciplined: badly reared.
Middle English
wantonnesse
English, today
wantonness
From Middle English wantonnesse, wantonesse, wantounesse, wantownesse, equivalent to wanton + ness.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA