Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
prodigal. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
prodigal, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
prodigal in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
prodigal you have here. The definition of the word
prodigal will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
prodigal, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- + agō (“to drive”). Also see prodigy.
Pronunciation
Adjective
prodigal (comparative more prodigal, superlative most prodigal)
- Wastefully extravagant.
- He found himself guilty of prodigal spending during the holidays.
- The prodigal son spent his share of his inheritance until he was destitute.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXIII, in Francesca Carrara. , volume II, London: Richard Bentley, , (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 257:The prodigal heir can only waste his own substance, and the punishment falls, as it should, upon himself; but the prince has an awful responsibility,—the welfare of others is required at his hands;...
- (often followed by of or with) Yielding profusely, lavish.
- She was a merry person, glad and prodigal of smiles.
- How can he be so prodigal with money on such a tight budget?
1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 10, page 63:He generally falls backwards and sometimes succumbs to the fever which ensues; hence as soon as the ordeal is over the women are prodigal of their attentions to him, and rub the swollen arm with a particular kind of herb.
1974, James Herriot, Vet in Harness, page 201:Granville poised himself over a vast sirloin, stropped his knife briskly, then began to hack away ruthlessly. He was a prodigal server and piled about two pounds of meat on my plate, then he started on the Yorkshire puddings.
- Profuse, lavishly abundant.
- (by allusion to the New Testament story commonly called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son", Luke 15:11–32) Behaving as a prodigal son:
- Having (selfishly) abandoned a person, group, or ideal.
- Returning or having returned, especially repentantly, after such an abandonment.
2012 August 12, Paul Owen, “London 2012 Olympics: day 10”, in The Guardian:Simon Hart of the Daily Telegraph has tweeted that the prodigal triple-jumper has come home, in preparation for tomorrow's qualification round.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
profuse, lavishly abundant
Noun
prodigal (plural prodigals)
- A prodigal person; a spendthrift; a wastrel.
Synonyms
Translations
Further reading
- “prodigal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “prodigal”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “prodigal”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.