- Today's Word
Licentious
ly-SEN-shus
Definition
(adjective) Promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters; disregarding accepted rules or conventions, especially in moral behavior.
Example
The novel depicted the licentious behavior of aristocrats during the decadent final years of the empire.
Word Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin “licentiosus,” from “licentia” meaning “freedom or license,” from “licere” meaning “be lawful or permitted.”
Fun Fact
Licentious comes from the same root as “license,” but where license can be positive freedom, licentious always implies excess beyond acceptable bounds. The word historically condemned sexual promiscuity, but extends to any behavior lacking moral restraint. Ancient Roman moralists worried about licentious living undermining civic virtue. Victorian writers deployed “licentious” to describe everything from revealing clothing to improper thoughts. Modern usage maintains the negative judgment—licentious parties, licentious lifestyles, or licentious disregard for social norms. The word captures that specific combination of sexual impropriety and moral recklessness that simple “promiscuous” doesn’t fully convey. Unlike “libertine,” which can carry romantic connotations, licentious remains firmly condemnatory, suggesting not just freedom from restraint but harmful excess that threatens social order or personal wellbeing.