Flagitiousness

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Flagitious \Fla*gi"tious\, a. [L. flagitiosus, fr. flagitium a
     shameful or disgraceful act, orig., a burning desire, heat of
     passion, from flagitare to demand hotly, fiercely; cf.
     flagrare to burn, E. flagrant.]
     1. Disgracefully or shamefully criminal; grossly wicked;
        scandalous; shameful; -- said of acts, crimes, etc.


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              Debauched principles and flagitious practices. --I.
                                                    Taylor.
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     2. Guilty of enormous crimes; corrupt; profligate; -- said of
        persons. --Pope.
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     3. Characterized by scandalous crimes or vices; as,
        flagitious times. --Pope.
  
     Syn: Atrocious; villainous; flagrant; heinous; corrupt;
          profligate; abandoned. See {Atrocious}. --
          {Fla*gi"tious*ly}, adv. -- {Fla*gi"tious*ness}, n.
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                A sentence so flagitiously unjust.  --Macaulay.
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