flagellant

noun

fla·​gel·​lant ˈfla-jə-lənt How to pronounce flagellant (audio) flə-ˈje-lənt How to pronounce flagellant (audio)
1
: a person who scourges himself or herself as a public penance
2
: a person who responds sexually to being beaten by or to beating another person
flagellant adjective
flagellantism
ˈfla-jə-lən-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce flagellant (audio)
flə-ˈje-lən-
noun

Examples of flagellant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The field guide to millenarianism remains Norman Cohn’s Pursuit of the Millennium, that magical mystery tour of Ranters, flagellants, Free Spirits, messiahs, lesser messiahs, autocratic messiahs, disappointed messiahs, and anarcho-communists. Michael Robbins, Harper's Magazine, 9 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flagellant was circa 1587

Dictionary Entries Near flagellant

Cite this Entry

“Flagellant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flagellant. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

flagellant

noun
fla·​gel·​lant ˈflaj-ə-lənt How to pronounce flagellant (audio) flə-ˈjel-ənt How to pronounce flagellant (audio)
: a person who responds sexually to being beaten by or to beating another flagellant person
flagellant adjective
flagellantism noun

More from Merriam-Webster on flagellant

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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