as in corruption
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society
our minister often condemns the licentiousness he sees cavalierly portrayed in today's mass media
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Recent Examples of licentiousness
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year in our great nation and especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once-wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year, especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once-wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year, especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentiousness
Noun
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The council made similar appointments when Patrick Cannon stepped down in 2014 after he was indicted on public corruption charges and in 2013 when Anthony Foxx left the city to become the federal secretary of transportation.
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When self-interest matures into corruption, the machine begins to strain.
Noun
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Independents said the worst thing about Republicans was their loyalty to Trump (10%), perceptions of corruption and self-enrichment (8%), dishonesty, hypocrisy or immorality (7%), a lack of concern for ordinary people or cruelty (6%), and ineffective and weak or unqualified leadership (5%).
-
Following this tendency might finally cure us not only of indigestion but also the ancient immorality of eating other organisms.
Noun
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The movie’s gravest sin, though, might be its very existence.
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Do not allow the sins of the past to overwhelm, to drown the present.
Noun
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The island village is beset by sea hags, serial killers, creepy clowns and other evils that interfere with Tom’s dream of turning Widow’s Bay into a Martha’s Vineyard-like tourist destination.
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And evil and injustice ultimately never prevails over the grace of God for those who adhere to the Golden Rule.
Noun
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Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
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This lawless crew shares dramaturgical DNA with the vice figures from medieval morality plays, personifications of sinfulness who would confide their schemes to the audience and make theatergoers their co-conspirators in a riveting game that obviously left its mark on a young Shakespeare.
Noun
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But in Anglo-American culture, periods of libertinism are followed by periods of restraint.
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Contrary to the crusty, chaotic libertinism of their shows, the band is disarmingly sweet and funny in person despite being duly crude.
Cite this Entry
“Licentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentiousness. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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