peccant

[ pek-uhnt ]

adjective

1. sinning; guilty of a moral offense.
2. violating a rule, principle, or established practice; faulty; wrong.

peccant

/ ˈpɛkənt /

adjective

1. guilty of an offence; corrupt
2. violating or disregarding a rule; faulty
3. producing disease; morbid

Derived Forms

• ˈpeccancy, noun
• ˈpeccantly, adverb

Other Words From

• peccan·cy peccant·ness noun
• peccant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of peccant¹

1595–1605; < Latin peccant- (stem of peccāns ), present participle of peccāre to err, offend; -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of peccant¹

C17: from Latin peccans, from peccāre to sin

Example Sentences

Oliver Fox is a foppish socialite, Dr Norman Wilfred a peccant scientist.

From The Guardian

If we meet in the halls of Pluto, the more peccant parts of our mortal nature purged away, all will be made up; he will receive my heartfelt apologies, and he will be my friend, I his sincere admirer.

From Project Gutenberg

This humoral doctrine of Paracelsus, strange to say, obtained for upwards of a century, and many were the learned men who distracted their brains and that of their disciples to multiply his errors, since we find Sanctorius calculates 90,000 morbid alterations in these peccant humours.

From Project Gutenberg

Many of these eruptions are considered of a critical and salutary nature; and the ancients fancied that nature relieved herself by throwing upon the surface some “peccant humours.”

From Project Gutenberg

Was a crusade to be preached, for the annihilation of the peccant race?

From Project Gutenberg