What does reprobate mean?
Reprobate is chiefly a derogatory noun for a person considered morally disreputable, dishonest, or contemptible. It can also refer, especially in religious or historical contexts, to someone rejected or condemned by a community. As a verb, reprobate means to condemn or reject someone as morally objectionable; as an adjective, it describes disreputable behavior or character. The word has an emphatic, uncompromising tone and is often used to portray someone as a social outcast or as beyond the ordinary standards of respectable conduct. Although now mainly literary, formal, or religious, it remains recognizable because of its strong association with moral judgment. Its history also gives it an unusual range: the modern term is not merely an insult, but a word rooted in ideas of approval, testing, and rejection.
A morally disreputable person; a scoundrel or outcast.
"The novelist portrayed him as a corrupt reprobate with no loyalty to anyone."
Derogatory and usually strongly condemnatory; in religious or historical contexts, it can mean a person rejected or condemned.
To condemn as morally objectionable or reject.
"The tribunal reprobated the conduct rather than imposing a formal penalty."
Formal, archaic-sounding, and less common than the noun in modern usage.
Morally objectionable, disreputable, or dissolute.
"The congregation refused to tolerate such reprobate behavior."
Strongly derogatory; usually describes conduct, behavior, or character.
The standard plural of the noun, used chiefly in a derogatory sense.
"The novel depicts a pair of reprobates who prey on their fellow townspeople."
Reprobate began with the idea of rejection; today it survives as a blunt stamp of moral disgrace.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reprobate come from?
Reprobate comes from Latin reprobatus, the past participle of reprobare, meaning “to reject” or “to disapprove.” Its elements re- and probare, “to approve” or “to test,” are also reflected in related English words such as approve, disapprove, probation, and probable. Historically, the word had a theological sense of a person rejected or condemned, before and alongside its modern figurative use for a disreputable person.
Related word forms
How reprobate is actually used
The word is strongly derogatory and usually conveys moral or social disrepute. The noun is common in formal, literary, religious, and historical writing, while the verb and adjective are less frequent in everyday modern usage.
Easily confused with reprobate
Probate is the legal process of admitting a will to probate, whereas a reprobate is a person regarded as disreputable or morally objectionable.
Reprove means to express disapproval of someone or something, while reprobate is chiefly a derogatory noun for a disreputable person.