What does reprobated mean?
Reprobated means strongly condemned, disapproved of, or rejected as morally objectionable. It is a formal word with an emphatic, often censorious tone, and it is commonly used when people or institutions are described as having repudiated conduct they regard as seriously wrong. The word can also function as the past tense and past participle of the relatively uncommon verb “reprobate,” meaning to condemn or reject something as wrong. Its associations with the idea of moral rejection make it especially forceful in religious, political, legal, and ethical discussion. In contemporary use, the adjective is generally more common than the verb. Because it conveys not merely disapproval but vigorous condemnation, it is better suited to serious criticism than to routine disagreement.
Strongly condemned or regarded as morally objectionable.
"The article described the treatment of prisoners as reprobated and unjust."
Formal and strongly disapproving; often used for serious moral or ethical condemnation.
Past tense and past participle of reprobate: to condemn or reject as wrong or unworthy.
"Several delegates reprobated the decision to abandon the inquiry."
Rare in modern usage and more literary than the adjective.
A word once associated with theological rejection still carries the force of a modern moral condemnation: to call something reprobated is to condemn it emphatically.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reprobated come from?
The word comes from the Latin past participle reprobatus, meaning “rejected” or “disapproved of,” formed from re- (“back” or “again”) and probare (“to approve” or “test”). In earlier English, “reprobate” was especially associated with theological language and the idea of a person rejected or condemned. The modern adjective “reprobated” developed from this religious and moral vocabulary and now commonly describes something that has been strongly condemned.
Related word forms
How reprobated is actually used
The adjective is formal and strongly disapproving. The verb form is much less common in modern English and can sound literary or archaic.
Easily confused with reprobated
“Reprobated” describes something or someone that has been strongly condemned, while “reprobate” is chiefly a noun for a person considered morally corrupt or debased.