Word of the Day - 11/27/25
reprobate
/'rɛprə,beɪt/(n.): a person without moral scruples
The old man was a known reprobate in the village, always causing trouble and showing no remorse.
(v.): express strong disapproval of
The committee decided to reprobate the proposed changes, finding them entirely unacceptable.
(adj.): deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good
His reprobate behavior at the party shocked everyone present.
(v.): abandon to eternal damnation
Some theological doctrines suggest God may reprobate certain souls.
(v.): reject (documents) as invalid
The court had to reprobate the poorly prepared contract due to several legal flaws.
Word Origin
The word 'reprobate' originates from the Latin 'reprobatus', which is the past participle of 'reprobare', meaning 'to disapprove, reject, condemn'. It can be broken down into 're-' (an intensive prefix, or meaning 'back, again') and 'probare' (meaning 'to test, examine, approve'). Thus, 'reprobate' literally implies 'to test again and find wanting' or 'to reject after testing'.
Words with similar origins include 'probate' (from Latin 'probare' meaning 'to prove, test'), 'approve' (from Latin 'approbare', from 'ad-' meaning 'to' + 'probare'), 'probe' (from Latin 'proba' meaning 'a test, proof', derived from 'probare'), and 'probable' (from Latin 'probabilis' meaning 'that may be proved, credible', also from 'probare').