profligate

/ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/

//ˈpɹɒflɪɡət// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"profligate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“profligate” is uncommon English (frequency #61,727 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,727
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-profligate · profligate · English

profligate · rank #61,727 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #61,727
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH processional

Nearest frequency peer: processional (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “profligate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “profligate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for profligate
PropertyValue
Headwordprofligate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/
Letters10
Frequency rank#61,727
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “profligate” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).profligatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “processional” (#61,726), “prolactin” (#61,728), “priv” (#61,725). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “profligate” is #61,727. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

profligate is uncommon English at frequency #61,727 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for profligate, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is first attested in 1535, the verb in 1542; borrowed from Latin prōflīgātus, perfect passive participle of prōflīgō (“to strike down, cast down”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 an 3)), from prō- (“forward”) + flīgō (“to strike, dash”) + -ō (verb-f… The correct English form is profligate, spelled P-R-O-F-L-I-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
  2. 2
    Immoral; abandoned to vice.
  3. 3
    Profligated: routed, overcome, driven away.
  4. 4
    Overthrown, ruined.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how profligate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [H]er Reputation—That—I have no Reaſon to believe is in Queſtion—But then hovv long her profligate Courſe of Pleaſures may make her able to keep it—is a ſhocking Queſtion! and her Preſumption VVhile ſhe keeps it—inſupportable!
  2. His undignified and profligate exile—needy suitor to-day to the only heiress of the royal French blood, and to-morrow to one of the nieces of the Italian adventurer, Mazarin. Utterly neglectful of what he owes to the kingdom which he hopes to regain, Charles has learned but adversity's worst lesson—expediency.

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1535, the verb in 1542; borrowed from Latin prōflīgātus, perfect passive participle of prōflīgō (“to strike down, cast down”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 an 3)), from prō- (“forward”) + flīgō (“to strike, dash”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Common participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

This word in other languages

disoluto(Español)dépensier(Français)verschwenderisch(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "profligate"?
"profligate" is spelled P-R-O-F-L-I-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/.
What does "profligate" mean?
As an adjective, "profligate" means: Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
How do you pronounce "profligate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "profligate" is /ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "profligate"?
The adjective is first attested in 1535, the verb in 1542; borrowed from Latin prōflīgātus, perfect passive participle of prōflīgō (“to strike down, cast down”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 an 3)), from prō- (“forward”) + flīgō (“to strike, dash”) + ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "profligate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

proteomics#61,730quadriceps#61,740perversely#61,700Pentateuch#61,697

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list