libertinism

English

Etymology

From libertine +‎ -ism.

Noun

libertinism (countable and uncountable, plural libertinisms)

1. A lifestyle or pattern of behavior characterized by self-indulgence and lack of restraint, especially one involving sexual promiscuity and rejection of religious or other moral authority.
   • 1852, William Makepeace Thackeray, “My Lord Leaves Us and His Evil Behind Him”, in The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. […] , volume I, London: […] Smith, Elder, & Company, […], →OCLC, page 299:

     [T]he lord made a boaſt of his libertiniſm, and frequently avowed that he held all women to be fair game (as his lordſhip ſtyled this pretty ſport), and that they were all, without exception, to be won.

   • 1855, Washington Irving, “[The Knight of Malta.] The Grand Prior of Minorca. A Veritable Ghost Story.”, in Wolfert’s Roost and Other Papers, […], New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam & Co., […], →OCLC, page 133:

     Instead of being a hardy body of "monk-knights," […] they led a life of luxury and libertinism, and were to be found in the most voluptuous courts of Europe.

   • 1990 July 16, David Gross, Sophfronia Scott, “Proceeding With Caution”, in Time:

     Only on college campuses do remnants of libertinism linger. That worries public-health officials, who are witnessing an explosion of sexually transmitted diseases.

   • 1993, Peter N. Miller, “‘Freethinking’ and ‘Freedom of Thought’ in Eighteenth-Century Britain”, in The Historical Journal, volume 36, number 3, page 601:

     To facilitate their counter-attack, the targets of this critique sought to reduce the plurality of libertinisms to a simple libertine personality.

Related terms

• libertinage

Translations

behavior characterized by self-indulgence and lack of restraint

• Finnish: libertinismi
• French: libertinage (fr) m
• German: Libertinismus m
• Italian: libertinaggio (it) m
• Portuguese: libertinagem (pt) f
• Romanian: libertinism (ro) n
• Spanish: libertinaje (es) m

References

• “libertinism”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Romanian

Etymology

From libertin +‎ -ism.

Noun

libertinism n (uncountable)

1. libertinism

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	libertinism	libertinismul
genitive-dative	libertinism	libertinismului
vocative	libertinismule

See also

• libertinaj