Wantonnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Lewd, immoral conduct, especially sexual license ; reckless, whimsical behavior that ignores restraint or reason ; wasteful extravagance or excessive indulgence in spending or luxury
2. Sexual looseness and immodest behavior ; capricious, willful disregard for restraint or consequences ; lavish, profligate excess that squanders resources or pleasures
3. Licentious, immoral conduct of a sexual kind ; whimsical, undisciplined willfulness that acts without reason ; extravagant squandering or overindulgence in riches and pleasures

Etymology: "Wantonnesse" is simply an older spelling of "wantonness," and its history runs through the word "wanton" itself. Middle English writers spelled the word in several variant forms, including "wantonesse," "wantounesse," and "wantownesse," so the spelling you see here reflects the medieval habit of spelling by ear rather than by any fixed rule. The word is built from "wanton" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. Its meaning shifted over time. The adjective "wanton" originally carried a sense of being undisciplined or unruly, and this broader idea of lacking restraint is what lies behind the later focus on sexual license.

Synonyms: wantonness, lewdness, licentiousness, lechery

Antonyms: chastity, restraint, modesty