prodigality

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

Also spelled prodigygality

US /ˌprɑdɪˈɡæləti/ UK /ˌprɒdɪˈɡæləti/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
wasteful or extravagant spending; lavishness

His prodigality soon emptied the family fortune.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · wasteful or extravagant... extravagance wastefulness profligacy lavishness squandering improvidence

Opposites

frugality thrift economy parsimony

Word family

Related forms prodigal

Etymology

From Old French prodigalite, from Late Latin prodigalitas, from Latin prodigus ('wasteful, lavish'), from prodigere ('to squander'), from prod- (pro- 'forth') + agere ('to drive').

prodigus Latin prodigere Latin agere Latin

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Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

# prodigality

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˌprɑdɪˈɡæləti
**IPA (UK):** ˌprɒdɪˈɡæləti

## Meanings
1. wasteful or extravagant spending; lavishness

## Examples
- His prodigality soon emptied the family fortune.

## Synonyms
- extravagance
- wastefulness
- profligacy
- lavishness
- squandering
- improvidence

## Antonyms
- frugality
- thrift
- economy
- parsimony

## Related Forms
- prodigal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: prodigus
- Root: prodigere
- Root: agere

## Etymology
From Old French prodigalite, from Late Latin prodigalitas, from Latin prodigus ('wasteful, lavish'), from prodigere ('to squander'), from prod- (pro- 'forth') + agere ('to drive').

## AI Etymology
Prodigality comes from Old French prodigalite, from Late Latin prodigalitas, from Latin prodigus ('wasteful, lavish'), from prodigere ('to squander'), from prod- (pro- 'forth') + agere ('to drive'). The historical chain includes Latin prodigus, Latin prodigere, and Latin agere. The quoted older senses, "wasteful, lavish", "to squander", "forth", and "to drive", supply the semantic anchors for prodigality. The formation is best read as compound and borrowed: the word prodigality carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a noun, "wasteful or extravagant spending; lavishness". Related English forms include prodigal. The result is a noun whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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prodigality

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