noun
libertine
LIHB-uh-teen
noun
1
A person, especially a man, who ignores conventional moral standards and pursues pleasure freely.
"The novel's hero is a notorious libertine who charms and abandons a string of lovers."
adj
1
Morally unrestrained; given to indulgence and disregard for conventional standards.
"The court had a reputation for libertine excess."
How to Use Libertine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who lives by their own rules, especially when it comes to sex and pleasure, ignoring social morals.
When to use it
Often used with a slightly literary or old-fashioned flavour, especially in historical fiction.
Word Forms
more libertine comparative, libertines plural, libertines plural, most libertine superlative
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The novel's hero is a notorious _____ who charms and abandons a string of lovers.
Etymology
From Latin libertinus, "a freedman" (a former slave), from liber, "free." The word shifted from describing legal freedom to describing moral looseness.