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1
: a person affected with leprosy
2
: a person shunned for moral or social reasons
Synonyms
Examples of leper in a Sentence
was treated as a leper after she leveled unpopular criticism of the beloved star
Recent Examples on the Web
Ana Navarro slams 'social leper and criminal' Diddy in passionate defense of Cassie on The View
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—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 Sep. 2024
Santa Cruz resident Rus Scott traveled to Crete in June for adventures that included a day trip from the coastal city of Agios Nikolaos, pictured, to the tiny island of Spinalonga, which was once a leper colony.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2024
The sisters run a home for children and have helped organize an impoverished settlement of lepers.
—Victor Gaetan, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2017
Presented to Hawaiian opera singer Tandy MacKenzie in 1922, it’s inscribed from the members of the Molokai leper colony, for whom the world-famous tenor had agreed to sing, in defiance of societal norms.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 18 June 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from lepre leprosy, from Late Latin lepra, from Greek, from lepein to peel; perhaps akin to Lithuanian lopas piece, scrap
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of leper was
in the 14th century
Articles Related to leper
Dictionary Entries Near leper
Cite this Entry
“Leper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leper. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
leper
noun
lep·er
ˈlep-ər
: a person who has leprosy
Medical Definition
leper
noun
lep·er
ˈlep-ər
: an individual affected with leprosy
More from Merriam-Webster on leper
Nglish: Translation of leper for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of leper for Arabic Speakers
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