licentiousness

L1I1C3E1N1T1I1O1U1S1N1E1S1S1

noun

The property of being licentious.

UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

nounlicentiousness (usually uncountable, plural licentiousnesses)

plural licentiousnesses

  1. uncountableusuallyThe 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
    1 more example

    ... 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

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe quality of being lewd and lascivious

Similar
Broader

noundissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Dutch wulpsheid, wellustigheid
  • wulpsheidproperty of being licentious
  • wellustigheidproperty of being licentious
Finnish riettaus, irstaus
  • riettausproperty of being licentious
  • irstausproperty of being licentious
  • siveettömyysproperty of being licentious
  • hillittömyysproperty of being licentious
French licenciosité, licence
  • licenciositéproperty of being licentious
  • licenceproperty of being licentious
German Zügellosigkeit, Freizügigkeit
  • Zügellosigkeitproperty of being licentious
  • Freizügigkeitproperty of being licentious
  • Unzüchtigkeitproperty of being licentious
Hebrew פְּרִיצוּת, הוֹלֵלוּת
  • פְּרִיצוּת (pritzút)property of being licentious
  • הוֹלֵלוּת (holelút)property of being licentious
Irish ainriantacht, díolúnas
  • ainriantachtproperty of being licentious
  • díolúnasproperty of being licentious
  • drabhlásproperty of being licentious
Italian licenziosità
  • licenziositàproperty of being licentious
Japanese 猥褻
  • 猥褻 (waisetsu)property of being licentious
Latin licentiositas
  • licentiositasproperty of being licentious
Romanian licențiozitate
  • licențiozitateproperty of being licentious
Spanish licenciosidad, libertinaje
  • licenciosidadproperty of being licentious
  • libertinajeproperty of being licentious
  • puteríoproperty of being licentious
Cite this entry
APA

licentiousness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/licentiousness

MLA

“licentiousness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/licentiousness. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “licentiousness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/licentiousness.

Source: licentiousness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.