libertinism
noun
lib·er·tin·ism
ˈli-bər-ˌtē-ˌni-zəm 
-tə-
: the quality or state of being libertine : the behavior of a libertine
Synonyms
Examples of libertinism in a Sentence
a group of urban bohemians who were better known for their libertinism than for their intellectualism
even by the standards of ancient Rome, Caligula's reign was marked by a libertinism that went beyond the pale
Recent Examples on the Web
Evil excited certain Surrealists who, for instance, celebrated the predatory libertinism of the Marquis de Sade.
—
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021
Sade, after all, viewed himself not just as a libertine, but as a philosopher of libertinism (one of his works was titled Philosophy in the Boudoir).
—Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020
Long before Christ, the same idea was shared by the European Renaissance, Sophocles, Themistocles, Socrates, Mozart, and Goethe, the quest for a refinement of emotion and libertinism.
—Bohumil Hrabal, Harper's magazine, 25 Nov. 2019
Yet Will’s own moment of libertinism is destined to pass into history at much the same time as Nantwich’s.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2011
Others, following Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, aim to make a virtue of Trump’s libertinism and cruelty, comparing him to Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, who is said to have paved the way for the Jewish exodus.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 June 2018
Christian liberty of this kind provided no excuse for libertinism.
—Joseph Loconte, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2017
See More
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021
Sade, after all, viewed himself not just as a libertine, but as a philosopher of libertinism (one of his works was titled Philosophy in the Boudoir).
—Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020
Long before Christ, the same idea was shared by the European Renaissance, Sophocles, Themistocles, Socrates, Mozart, and Goethe, the quest for a refinement of emotion and libertinism.
—Bohumil Hrabal, Harper's magazine, 25 Nov. 2019
Yet Will’s own moment of libertinism is destined to pass into history at much the same time as Nantwich’s.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2011
Others, following Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, aim to make a virtue of Trump’s libertinism and cruelty, comparing him to Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, who is said to have paved the way for the Jewish exodus.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 June 2018
Christian liberty of this kind provided no excuse for libertinism.
—Joseph Loconte, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'libertinism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1611, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near libertinism
Cite this Entry
“Libertinism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libertinism. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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