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GRE vocabulary

profligate

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore P words

recklessly extravagant or shamelessly immoral

Word origin: From Latin profligatus, ruined or dissolute, from profligare, to strike down.

In a sentence

Profligate in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing profligate in a sentence.

The regime's profligate spending bankrupted the treasury.

Critics condemned the agency's profligate use of public funds on lavish conferences.

Synonyms
wastefuldissoluteprodigallicentious
Antonyms
thriftyfrugalmoral
Usage & nuance

Using “profligate” well

Profligate carries two related charges, reckless extravagance and shameless immorality, and is more condemnatory than the neutral prodigal.

Common questions

Questions about “profligate

Profligate (adjective) means recklessly extravagant or shamelessly immoral
Here is profligate used in an example sentence: "The regime's profligate spending bankrupted the treasury." Another example: "Critics condemned the agency's profligate use of public funds on lavish conferences."
Common synonyms for profligate include wasteful, dissolute, prodigal, licentious.
Antonyms of profligate include thrifty, frugal, moral.
On the GRE, profligate clusters with wasteful, dissolute, prodigal, and licentious, opposing thrifty, frugal, and moral.
Yes. Profligate is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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