libertine

Libertine is a term used to describe a person who pursues physical and sensual pleasures with little regard for conventional morality or social norms. It also connotes a broader cultural attitude associated with skepticism toward religious authority, secularism, and a certain wit and irreverence.

Etymology and historical context: The word comes from the French libertin, from Latin libertinus, meaning a freeman. In early modern Europe, libertinism took on moral coloration as it described courtiers, writers, and philosophers who rejected orthodox morality in favor of personal freedom, wit, and erotic exploration. The practice associated with libertinage flourished particularly in 17th- and 18th-century France, and it often intersected with salons, secular critique of the clergy, and experimental literature. In English usage, libertine frequently carried a pejorative sense of dissoluteness or lax morals.

Notable associations: Libertine figures appear in literature and history as those who championed freedom of thought and pleasure, sometimes challenging religious and political authority. The term can also be applied more broadly to individuals whose lifestyle centers on sensual gratification with minimal constraint, in both historical and modern contexts. In contemporary English, libertine is largely literary or historical, and when used descriptively it often signals moral looseness rather than a precise ethical system.

See also: libertinage, hedonism, secularism, libertine literature.