# profligate

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/ · frequency rank #61,727

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

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/profligate