Word of the Day

: June 13, 2010

flagitious

adjective fluh-JISH-us

What It Means

: marked by scandalous crime or vice : villainous

flagitious in Context

"Those leading the fight against erotica distribution compiled lists of flagitious books, but tried to keep their lists confidential…." (Jay A. Gertzman, Bookleggers and Smuthounds)

Did You Know?

"Flagitious" derives from the Latin noun "flagitium," meaning "shameful thing," and is akin to the Latin noun "flagrum," meaning "whip." "Flagrum" is also the source of "flagellate" ("to whip" or "to scourge"), but despite the superficial resemblance it is not the source of "flagrant," meaning "conspicuously bad." "Flagrant" and its cousins derive instead from Latin "flagrare," meaning "to burn." "Flagitious" first appeared in the late 14th century, and it was originally applied to people who were horribly criminal or wicked. These days, it can also describe intangibles, such as actions ("flagitious promiscuity"), ideas ("a flagitious notion"), and principles ("flagitious motives").