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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Years of high inflation and financial mismanagement eroded middle-class wealth, while high-level corruption has empowered a handful of businessmen to enrich themselves.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
-
David Bainbridge was the opening witness in what is expected to be a multi-day preliminary hearing that will decide whether Price, 75, should stand trial in a public corruption case.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
One celebrates the beauty and moral uplift of the Sabbath; the other denounces the immorality of the godless in the fiery manner of a tent-revival preacher.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
22 Dec. 2025
-
Advised by Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell, who sincerely believed in the Reformation, Henry started with accusations of corruption and immorality in the Church, then used intimidation and changes to the law to transfer all the wealth and land to himself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These are the words of someone determined not to repeat their father’s sins, someone who wants to be a little different than what a lot of the world might expect of a player with his unique brand of raw power and athleticism.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Except, apparently, among the Hoosiers who play football as if not playing football hard would be an unforgivable sin.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Alarm clocks are a necessary evil for most of us, but don’t let an ugly one ruin your new sleek hotel aesthetic.—
Brittney Morgan,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
-
On the contrary, what often works best are vague or utopian promises of deliverance, combined with an emotionally powerful depiction of the intolerable injustice and inescapable evils of the current regime.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Still, a story that’s equal parts an exploration of libertinism and also a scorching take on the elite remained a tempting narrative to explore.—
Abbey White,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Nov. 2024
-
To some, the campus became the place where the children of American postwar affluence failed to live up to all that had been invested in them, opting instead for campus protest, radical politics, and libertinism.—
Adrian Daub / Made by History,
TIME,
3 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Licentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentiousness. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
