as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
a moralist who decried what she regarded as the licentious and corrupt culture of the entertainment industry
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of licentious
Wilkes was a member of the supposedly licentious Hellfire Club, one of those groups (think of Led Zeppelin in our time) known for satanic pursuits that probably were mostly drunken stunts.
—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
While Black writers and artists looked to Harlem as a source of optimism and inspiration, whites saw Harlem and other centers of urban Black life as alluring quarters for their more licentious desires.
—
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists.
—
Stephanie Rafanelli,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Aug. 2023
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
While Black writers and artists looked to Harlem as a source of optimism and inspiration, whites saw Harlem and other centers of urban Black life as alluring quarters for their more licentious desires.
—
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists.
—
Stephanie Rafanelli,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentious
Adjective
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The Democrats are also passionate about the Constitution, the rule of law and due process — all high ground positions.
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Even in some of the big, seemingly soulless companies, there’s a lot of really passionate people who want to make art.
Adjective
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July 4th will be far hotter than normal for many and will follow several days in a row of intense heat.
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Be vigilant about never leaving young children and pets in vehicles without supervision, especially during periods of intense heat, as car interiors can quickly become extremely hot.
Adjective
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Some artists have eras, experimental phases, detours, creative dalliances; Arthur Russell’s career, for all its seeming contradictions—classical minimalism and lascivious disco, Zen Buddhist mantras and winsome country pop—was a continuum.
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On Thursday, Riemer pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition.
Adjective
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In March, the Miami Herald also joined Welty and the Croc Docs on a trip deep in the interior of the northern Everglades to track down lustful male pythons.
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Zhengyi Bai’s lustful Monostatos, disguised in the production as a hammy vampire, almost steals the show a time or two.
Cite this Entry
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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