Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

Find a word or form any language English German Search

miscreant en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• mĭsʹkrē-ənt (UK, US)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈmɪs.kɹi.ənt/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle English myscreaunt, miscreaunt, from Old French mescreant (1080) "mis-believer", present participle of mescreire "to misbelieve" (modern mécroire). Cognate with French mécréant.

Meanings

1. Lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous.
   • How do we get fair treatment when confronting miscreant workers sometimes means no care at all? 1983 December 24, Cindy Patton, “AIDS: Putting the Pieces Together”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 23, page 3:
2. Holding an incorrect religious belief.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
more miscreant	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
miscreaunt		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic
most miscreant	Degree=Sup		lexicographic

Translations (24)

pl nikczemny (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · mk ере́тички (holding an incorrect religious belief) · bg низък (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · sv skurkaktig (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · cs kacířský (holding an incorrect religious belief) · mk по́дол (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · enm myscreaunt (holding an incorrect religious belief) · ru еретический (holding an incorrect religious belief) · de Übeltäter (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · bg подъл (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · sh heretički (holding an incorrect religious belief) · de Schurke (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · pl heretycki (holding an incorrect religious belief) · pl podły (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · de Ketzer (holding an incorrect religious belief) · el άπιστος (holding an incorrect religious belief) · el αχρείος (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · bg еретически (holding an incorrect religious belief) · sv samvetslös (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · fr mécréant (holding an incorrect religious belief) · cs ničemný (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · de Ungläubiger (holding an incorrect religious belief) · de gewissenloser Mensch (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous) · ru развращённый (lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous)

miscreant en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• mĭsʹkrē-ənt (UK, US)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈmɪs.kɹi.ənt/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle English myscreaunt, miscreaunt, from Old French mescreant (1080) "mis-believer", present participle of mescreire "to misbelieve" (modern mécroire). Cognate with French mécréant.

Meanings

1. One who has behaved badly, or illegally.
   • The teacher sent the miscreants to see the school principal.
   • Thou art a Traitor, and a Miſcreant; Too good to be ſo, and too bad to liue, Since the more faire and chriſtall is the skie, The vglier ſeeme the cloudes that in it flye: 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 23, columns 1–2:
2. One not restrained by moral principles; an unscrupulous villain.
   • A meagre Catchpole hurries me to fail; No Miscreant, so remorseless, ever tore Thy Journals, Fog, or knock'd at Franklin's door a. 1719, Joseph Addison, A Riddle of Dean Swift's verfified:
3. One who holds a false religious belief; a misbeliever.
   • Arise thou cursed Miscreaunt, That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train Faire knighthood fowly shamed 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 41:
   • Before thine eyes, thou mild and blessed one, said he, half aloud, are these miscreants daring to hold their market, and trafficking in their hellish drugs 1825, Thomas De Quincey, “The Love-charm”, in Quarterly Magazine, Knight:
   • Now wil the Chriſtian miſcreants be glad, Ringing with ioy their ſuperſtitious belles: And making bonfires for my ouerthrow. But ere I die thoſe foule Idolaters Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones, […] c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
miscreants	Number=Plur		lexicographic
miscreaunt		alternative, obsolete	lexicographic

Translations (34)

bg злодей (one not restrained by moral principles) · tr fasık (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · pl łotr (one not restrained by moral principles) · sv missdådare (one not restrained by moral principles) · sh heretik (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · cs kacíř (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · enm myscreaunt (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · pl heretyczka (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · pl szubrawca (one not restrained by moral principles) · es facineroso (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · de Missetäterin (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · sh izgrednik (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · pl szubrawiec (one not restrained by moral principles) · de Missetäter (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · sv missdådare (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · sv ligist (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · fr mécréante (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · cs nevěrec (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · sh bezbožnik (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · sv ogärningsman (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · cs ničema (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · bg еретик (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · pl heretyk (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · pl nikczemnik (one not restrained by moral principles) · fr parpaillote (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · ar فَاسِق (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · cs ničema (one not restrained by moral principles) · fi vääräuskoinen (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · fr parpaillot (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · mk ере́тик (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · fi pahantekijä (one who has behaved badly or illegally) · sh bezvjerac (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · fr mécréant (one who holds a false religious belief; an unbeliever) · pl łachudra (one not restrained by moral principles)