1
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
a group of urban bohemians who were better known for their libertinism than for their intellectualism
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corruption
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society
even by the standards of ancient Rome, Caligula's reign was marked by a libertinism that went beyond the pale
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of libertinism
But in Anglo-American culture, periods of libertinism are followed by periods of restraint.
—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Contrary to the crusty, chaotic libertinism of their shows, the band is disarmingly sweet and funny in person despite being duly crude.
—
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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
Where his first two books take Bulgaria as backdrop and a certain kind of soft-skinned, deeply feeling libertinism as narrative vehicle, Small Rain functions as a midlife sequel, one that is quietly, unabashedly romantic.
—
Sarah Thankam Mathews,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2024
In other words, liberals refuse to acknowledge that political liberalism gives rise to private libertinism.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
Washington Post,
3 July 2024
Each letter affords Stauffer a chance to ruminate on whatever facet of the poet’s history and character happened to be glittering most brightly at the time, from his devotion to the cause of Greek independence in the fight against Ottoman rule to the libertinism for which he is famed.
—
The New Yorker,
12 June 2024
The era of libertinism — a philosophy devoted to the pursuit of pleasure — died out in the 19th century.
—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Jan. 2024
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Contrary to the crusty, chaotic libertinism of their shows, the band is disarmingly sweet and funny in person despite being duly crude.
—
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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
Where his first two books take Bulgaria as backdrop and a certain kind of soft-skinned, deeply feeling libertinism as narrative vehicle, Small Rain functions as a midlife sequel, one that is quietly, unabashedly romantic.
—
Sarah Thankam Mathews,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2024
In other words, liberals refuse to acknowledge that political liberalism gives rise to private libertinism.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
Washington Post,
3 July 2024
Each letter affords Stauffer a chance to ruminate on whatever facet of the poet’s history and character happened to be glittering most brightly at the time, from his devotion to the cause of Greek independence in the fight against Ottoman rule to the libertinism for which he is famed.
—
The New Yorker,
12 June 2024
The era of libertinism — a philosophy devoted to the pursuit of pleasure — died out in the 19th century.
—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libertinism
Noun
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What bothers me is the foot-dragging, the spinning in circles, the slow degradation of these characters into annoying stereotypes.
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Over time, this can increase electrical resistance, generate excess heat, and accelerate battery degradation.
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%).
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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 continuation of the Corleone Family saga expands until Michael (Al Pacino) commits the ultimate brotherly sin, but the story’s jump back in time — in which Robert De Niro plays a younger version of Marlon Brando’s Vito — features many of the most iconic sequences in 1970s cinema.
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The movie’s gravest sin, though, might be its very existence.
Noun
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Peter Gosselin Washington Moyn’s article and the accompanying cover photograph—showing old people as malevolent and evil—were not up to the usual standards of Harper’s Magazine.
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Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.
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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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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Libertinism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libertinism. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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