reprobate

1 of 3

noun

: an unprincipled or depraved person : scoundrel, rogue
Cemeteries were seldom placed on the north side of a church, which, if used for burial at all, was reserved for unbaptized children, criminals, reprobates and suicides.Rosemary Ellen Guiley

reprobate

2 of 3

adjective

1
a
: morally corrupt : depraved
b
: foreordained to damnation
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a reprobate
reprobate conduct
3
: expressing or involving reprobation
4
archaic : rejected as worthless or not standing a test : condemned

reprobate

3 of 3

verb

rep·​ro·​bate ˈre-prə-ˌbāt How to pronounce reprobate (audio)
reprobated; reprobating

transitive verb

1
: to condemn strongly as unworthy, unacceptable, or evil
reprobating the laxity of the age
2
: to refuse to accept : reject
3
: to foreordain to damnation
reprobative adjective
reprobatory adjective

Did you know?

The original reprobates were hardened sinners who had fallen from God's grace. In time, their name was used outside of religious contexts for any person who behaves in a morally wrong way. In Late Latin, reprobare means "to disapprove" or "to condemn."

Choose the Right Synonym for reprobate

criticize, reprehend, censure, reprobate, condemn, denounce mean to find fault with openly.

criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

Examples of reprobate in a Sentence

Noun a program for rehabilitating hard-core reprobates and turning them into hard-working, law-abiding citizens Adjective a reprobate judge who could be bribed, and often with astonishing ease Verb the board will most likely reprobate the request for parole without hesitation she reprobated such an indecent idea
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That tirade paralleled a similar rant by Eminem, the token white reprobate and protégé of Dr. Dre’s degenerate Interscope/Death Row combine. Armond White, National Review, 15 Nov. 2023 Instead, Killers of the Flower Moon pits white reprobates against indigenous innocents. Armond White, National Review, 20 Oct. 2023 Like many of Anderson’s protagonists, Gustave is a reprobate of the first order, romancing old ladies for their fortunes and such. Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 June 2023 Many Republicans want to move beyond Trump, with his unfiltered bigotry and never-ending drama and posse of hucksters and reprobates. Jill Filipovic, CNN, 16 Feb. 2023 Bennie is, after all, a reprobate. John Anderson, WSJ, 11 May 2021 Buster was a notorious reprobate who was linked to an illicit liquor ring. James Lasdun, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023 Charlie Price, a resolute drunken reprobate, has resolved to marry a woman with the aim of paying off his debts and staying in his family's good graces. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2022 Boyer and Mauzey have dug deeper into their problem-parent roles to find the humanity in their screwups and shortcomings, and the empathy in their fragile hopes, while Milligan is an irresistible reprobate with killer comic timing. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2022
Adjective
Logan has just told Frank that, after 35 years of service, he’s being pushed into a secondary role, in part because Logan is considering which of his reprobate children will be taking over his corporate empire. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2023 To many of them, killing someone with such a reprobate mind was justifiable by God’s laws. Time, 7 Nov. 2022 Batiste is not a reprobate minstrel like late-night regular Lil Nas X; yet the weakness of both is held in equivalent esteem by the cultural mainstream. Armond White, National Review, 6 Apr. 2022 That’s when Regina’s sardonic sister (Wanda Skyes, the show’s co-creator) steps in and lets him and his reprobate pals have it. Jeanne Jakle, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Apr. 2021 For reference, consider the late, reprobate Southwest Conference. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 13 Jan. 2020 While Brussels often pulls its punches on enforcing the rules, the stigma of being a fiscal pariah can be enough to rattle financial markets and push reprobate countries into compliance. Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2019 Bryan Cranston gets wild as a free-spirited, reprobate bar owner. Chris Ball, cleveland.com, 4 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reprobate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Late Latin reprobatus, past participle of reprobare — more at reprove

First Known Use

Noun

1592, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reprobate was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near reprobate

Cite this Entry

“Reprobate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprobate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reprobate

1 of 3 verb
rep·​ro·​bate ˈrep-rə-ˌbāt How to pronounce reprobate (audio)
reprobated; reprobating
: to condemn strongly as unworthy or evil
reprobation
ˌrep-rə-ˈbā-shən
noun

reprobate

2 of 3 adjective
1
: doomed to hell : condemned
2
: being without any morals : corrupt
3
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a wicked person

reprobate

3 of 3 noun
: a wicked person
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!