Dictionary

licentiousness en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English licentious Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English licentiousness From licentious + -ness.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The property of being licentious.
   • Early mentality, in initiating phallic worship, was never in any way guilty of licentiousness or obscenity. 1941, George Ryley Scott, Phallic Worship: A History of Sex and Sex Rites in Relation to the Religions of All Races from Antiquity to the Present Day, London: T. Werner Laurie, page x:
   • ... and well considered, me thinks this is one of the most censurable parts of this licentiousnesse, in regard it laboureth to taint the whole body of conversation, as it corrupteth the nature of words, which are the Publique Faith, whereupon all innocent discourse must needs trust it selfe, so that this perversion seemeth a publick impediment to the commerce of all vertuous communication ... 1648, Walter Montagu, “Of Scurrility”, in Miscellanea Spiritualia, London: W. Lee, D. Pakeman, and G. Bedell, section 2, page 144:

Forms

Relateds

debauchery

Translations (24)

fr licence (property of being licentious) · nl wellustigheid (property of being licentious) · ga díolúnas (property of being licentious) · it licenziosità (property of being licentious) · es puterío (property of being licentious) · he פְּרִיצוּת (property of being licentious) · fi siveettömyys (property of being licentious) · de Unzüchtigkeit (property of being licentious) · ja 猥褻 (property of being licentious) · hy բղջախոհություն (property of being licentious) · es licenciosidad (property of being licentious) · fr licenciosité (property of being licentious) · ga drabhlás (property of being licentious) · nl wulpsheid (property of being licentious) · fi riettaus (property of being licentious) · ro licențiozitate (property of being licentious) · fi irstaus (property of being licentious) · es libertinaje (property of being licentious) · ga ainriantacht (property of being licentious) · he הוֹלֵלוּת (property of being licentious) · fi hillittömyys (property of being licentious) · de Zügellosigkeit (property of being licentious) · de Freizügigkeit (property of being licentious) · la licentiositas (property of being licentious)