Definition and pronunciation
profligate — adjective & noun: wildly wasteful or recklessly self-indulgent; as a noun, a person who lives that way (spending, pleasure, or vice).
Pronunciation: US /ˈprɑː-flɪ-ɡət/; UK /ˈprɒ-flɪ-ɡət/. Noun profligacy /ˈprɑː-flɪ-ɡə-si/.
Easy explanation
Profligate means “using too much” or “overdoing it.” A profligate person wastes money, time, or resources, or lives in excessive pleasure without care for consequences.
Part of speech and grammar
Adjective: profligate spending, profligate habits, profligate lifestyle
Noun: a profligate; the profligates of the court
Derivatives: profligacy (noun), profligately (adverb)
Register and tone
Formal and judgmental. Common in journalism, economics, politics, and literary critique. It signals disapproval—use sparingly when neutrality matters.
Connection to sexuality
Sometimes. In older or moralizing writing, “sexually profligate” means very promiscuous or indulgent. Modern neutral language prefers precise terms (e.g., has multiple partners, consensual non-monogamy) and centers consent and safety rather than shaming.
Common collocations
profligate spending; profligate use of resources; profligate habits; profligate lifestyle; fiscally profligate; profligate gambler; profligate with money/time/words; profligate emissions; profligate monarchy/court
Idioms and expressions
Not fixed idioms, but frequent phrases include: call someone a profligate; rein in profligacy; accuse a government of fiscal profligacy; a streak of profligacy.
Prepositions and nuance
profligate with money/resources/time — wasteful handling: profligate with public funds.
profligate in habits/lifestyle — domain of excess: profligate in his private life.
profligate about safeguards/budgets — careless attitude: profligate about risk.
profligate of (archaic) — older style; avoid in modern prose.
Prepositions narrow the target (what’s being wasted or overindulged), not the core meaning.
Word comparisons
profligate vs prodigal — both mean wasteful; prodigal has a literary/Biblical ring and can imply return/repentance.
profligate vs spendthrift — spendthrift focuses on money; profligate can cover time, resources, and morals.
profligate vs wasteful — wasteful is plain; profligate is stronger and more judgmental.
profligate vs libertine/rake — those center sexual excess; profligate can be moral or financial.
profligate vs decadent — decadent suggests cultural decline or luxurious richness; profligate stresses reckless excess.
Real-life examples
The report called the subsidy program “fiscally profligate” for lacking audits.
A biography portrays the prince as a profligate who burned through an inheritance.
Critics condemned the profligate use of water during a drought.
The novel contrasts a profligate youth with a disciplined middle age.
Sample sentences
City leaders vowed to curb profligate spending.
Despite his rakish image, he wasn’t profligate with money.
The team grew profligate with chances and failed to score.
Her early career was marked by profligate hours and little sleep.
Tabloids labeled him “sexually profligate,” but the profile used neutral, consent-focused language instead.
Synonyms
wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, prodigal, lavish, excessive, dissipated, debauched, licentious, intemperate, self-indulgent, squandering, improvident
Antonyms
thrifty, frugal, prudent, economical, abstemious, temperate, restrained, disciplined, moderate, austere
Related terms
profligacy, spendthrift, extravagance, dissipation, debauchery, libertine, rake, decadence, austerity, prudence, parsimony, self-control, moderation, fiscal responsibility
Notes and etiquette
Because profligate carries moral heat, prefer concrete descriptions when possible (spent $X over budget; used double the water allowance; had overlapping relationships). Reserve the label for clear, documented excess.
Sexopedia.co is an educational glossary of sexual and gender-related terms—helping you improve your English while deepening your understanding of identity, language, and self-expression.