profligacy

noun

prof·​li·​ga·​cy ˈprä-fli-gə-sē How to pronounce profligacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being profligate

Examples of profligacy in a Sentence

a religious leader who railed against the profligacy of the nation's decadent aristocrats
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Getty Images These extremely high public debt burdens are not due to fiscal profligacy. Courtney Lindsay, WIRED, 13 July 2024 Weakness in French sovereign bonds has spilled over to Italy — Europe’s original poster child for fiscal profligacy. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 28 June 2024 But the sound advice offered by Karlin and Wittes—to end extravagant and open-ended commitments to allies in the Middle East in order to reduce reckless behavior and U.S. exposure to its consequences—will never be followed if U.S. profligacy toward Israel is treated as unmentionable. Robert Satloff, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019 Just over a decade ago, there was even something called Tea Party movement, raising the alarm across the country about federal profligacy. The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 16 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for profligacy 

Word History

First Known Use

1738, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of profligacy was in 1738

Dictionary Entries Near profligacy

Cite this Entry

“Profligacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profligacy. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

profligacy

noun
prof·​li·​ga·​cy ˈpräf-li-gə-sē How to pronounce profligacy (audio)
: the quality or state of being profligate

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