Word of the Day - 03/10/26
profligate
/'prɑfləɡɪt/(adj./n.): a recklessly extravagant consumer
Her profligate spending habits quickly depleted her inheritance, leaving her with nothing but debts.
(adj./n.): licentious and dissolute
"Righteous Claude Frollo was ever more drawn like a son to Notre Dame; not like his profligate brother Jehan who'd have none of Notre Dame" - The Bells of Notre Dame from Hunchback of Notre Dame
Word Origin
The word 'profligate' originates from the Latin past participle 'profligatus', which means 'cast down, ruined'. This in turn comes from the Latin verb 'profligare', meaning 'to cast down, overthrow, ruin'. 'Profligare' is composed of the prefix 'pro-' (meaning 'forth, down') and 'fligare' (meaning 'to strike'). The core sense evolved from being 'struck down' or 'ruined' (often morally or financially) to describing someone who is shamelessly extravagant, wasteful, and morally corrupt.
Words with a similar origin from the Latin root 'fligere' (to strike) include 'afflict' (from 'ad-' + 'fligere', meaning 'to strike down'), 'conflict' (from 'con-' + 'fligere', meaning 'to strike together'), and 'inflict' (from 'in-' + 'fligere', meaning 'to strike into'). These words share the common element of 'striking' or 'dashing' in their etymology, though their meanings have diverged.