profligate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, literary, sometimes journalistic.
Quick answer
What does “profligate” mean?
Recklessly wasteful and extravagant, especially with money or resources.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Recklessly wasteful and extravagant, especially with money or resources.
Behaving in a wildly immoral or debauched manner; lacking moral restraint. Can also refer to a person who behaves this way, especially one who spends money in such a manner.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The word is equally formal and literary in both varieties. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Carries strong moral judgment in both dialects. In British usage, there is a slight historical association with upper-class decadence.
Frequency
Low-frequency in both dialects, slightly more common in written, formal contexts than in speech.
Grammar
How to Use “profligate” in a Sentence
be profligate with [noun] (money, resources)be profligate in [gerund/noun] (spending, behaviour)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “profligate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Archaic/rare) He was accused of profligating his inheritance on wine and dice.
American English
- (Archaic/rare) The act profligates public trust and must be stopped.
adverb
British English
- (Rare) He lived profligately, burning through his fortune in a year.
American English
- (Rare) The trust fund was spent profligately on parties and travel.
adjective
British English
- The council's profligate procurement process led to a massive overspend.
American English
- Critics slammed the state's profligate budget for its new sports stadium.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'The board condemned the CEO's profligate use of company funds on private jets.'
Academic
'The historian argued that the empire's decline was precipitated by its profligate military expenditures.'
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Possibly: 'Buying a third sports car seems a bit profligate, doesn't it?'
Technical
Used in economics/political science to describe unsustainable fiscal policy.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “profligate”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “profligate”
- Using it to mean simply 'professional' or 'proficient'.
- Mispronouncing as /proʊˈflaɪɡeɪt/.
- Using it as a positive term for generosity.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. Its core is reckless wastefulness, often with money, but this easily extends to a metaphor for a wasteful, immoral lifestyle lacking restraint.
'Extravagant' means spending more than necessary, often lavishly. 'Profligate' is much stronger, implying reckless, shameless waste that leads to ruin. All profligate spending is extravagant, but not all extravagant spending is profligate.
Yes. A 'profligate' is a person who is recklessly extravagant or licentious. E.g., 'The old duke was remembered as a charming profligate.'
No. It is a formal, literary word of low-to-mid frequency, most common in writing about politics, economics, history, or moral criticism.
Recklessly wasteful and extravagant, especially with money or resources.
Profligate is usually formal, literary, sometimes journalistic. in register.
Profligate: in British English it is pronounced /ˈprɒflɪɡət/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈprɑːflɪɡət/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Prodigal son (related but distinct, implying a return after wastefulness)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'PRO-FLING-it-GATE' – imagine a politician (in a 'gate' scandal) professionally (pro) flinging money out the gate, wasting it all.
Conceptual Metaphor
MORALITY IS FINANCIAL PRUDENCE / IMMORALITY IS FINANCIAL WASTE. Wasteful spending is mapped onto a lack of moral restraint.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'profligate' LEAST likely to be used?